On Tuesday March 20, 2012, Eric Brown, President and CEO of
CTN, Jonathan Linkous, CEO of the American Telemedicine
Association and Sharon Gillett, Chief of the Wireline Competition
Bureau, among other health IT and technology experts, met in
Washington to discuss “Maximizing US Health IT and Broadband
Investment” at BroadbandBreakfast.com’s monthly breakfast and
panel discussion.
(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — UC Davis Health System and the California
Telehealth Network (CTN) today announced more than $5 million in
awards to 15 community groups across California to advance health
using telecommunications technologies and help provide examples
of eHealth activity for other communities to follow.
The Broadband Adoption Model eHealth Communities Awards are
designed to assist California communities in becoming
best-practice examples in the use and integration of technology
to improve health and health care for local residents.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Rural health-care providers will soon have
their own broadband network for the practice of telemedicine in
California, according to Christine Martin, executive director of
the California Telemedicine & eHealth Center (CTEC).
Martin gave an update on the status of telehealth in California
on Tuesday, May 10, at Government Technology Conference West
2011, an annual gathering of state IT officials and employees.
On May 3, 2011, the FCC announced two important enhancements to
the California Telehealth Network’s (CTN) Rural Health Care
Pilot Program (RHCPP). First, CTN has been granted a
one year extension and is now authorized to submit additional
site applications through June 2012. Sites that have not
already applied now have an opportunity to meet the FCC
eligibility requirements to participate in the RHCPP.
Second, the FCC authorized CTN to provide subsidized low cost
broadband rates to RHCPP sites for an additional year. This
will allow RHCPP sites to receive s
These are heady days for Eric Brown. He’s the executive director
for the California Telehealth Network, an organization partially
funded by the Federal Communications Commission and run by the
University of California-Davis that plans to use video feeds to
eventually link medical specialists to more than 800 rural and
underserved health care facilities across the state.
CTN recently announced that 25 medical facilities now are hooked
up to a broadband network, bringing the futuristic vision of
telehealth closer to reality in California.
“It’s a very exciting time,” Brown said, adding, “It’s good to be
making progress. About 25 sites now have active circuits, and
full functionality will come in the next week or two. We’re
shooting for the first week of February.”
By Bobby Caina Calvan
Imagine a doctor listening to the heartbeat of a patient half a
world away. Or a young child opening wide into the peering lens
of a high-definition camera. And doctors collaborating online,
exchanging digital X-rays, MRIs and potential diagnoses.
Telemedicine’s future took another leap forward Tuesday with the
launch of the California Telehealth Network, the most ambitious
foray yet into the rapidly developing field that links doctors
and patients via high-tech tools.
Imagine that you’ve just been in car accident in a remote area
and the doctor treating you needs the help of a specialist. Now
through a new network she can get that help through video
conferencing.
“The California Telehealth Network is now officially
launched.”
That’s Eric Brown, Executive Director of the California
Telehealth Network, which was launched today at the UC Davis
Cancer Center. Brown was joined by Governor Shwarzenegger and
U.S. Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra. The governor called
telehealth the “future of medicine.”
“It should not be a matter of how rich you are or where you live,
I think everyone ought to have this kind of access.”
Over the next three years the network plans to connect 800 health
care providers across the state. The project is funded in large
part by a 22 million dollar grant from the Federal Communications
Commission.
The University of California on Tuesday awarded a three-year, $27
million contract to AT&T to provide the telecommunications
infrastructure that will serve as the backbone for the California
Telehealth Network.
The UC Davis Medical Center will help coordinate the network,
which will connect more than 860 sites across the state, many in
rural areas, as part of an initiative to expand health access to
underserved populations.
The availability of health care and access to medical
professionals can be challenging in rural communities. Many
people living in California’s more remote areas have trouble
accessing health care. It is not uncommon for residents to travel
long distances to see a doctor and to experience delays in
medical attention. Efforts to improve healthcare accessibility
for all Californians must be a priority.
Continuing his commitment to expand broadband network access
across California, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced
Tuesday a $22 million grant award to the California Telehealth
Network by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
“As we move forward this year with comprehensive health care
reform, using technology is a major component in improving
patient care. By expanding broadband networks for telemedicine,
we can connect the best medical experts to clinics in remote
areas of the state. It’s critical that California continues to
lead the way with this technology, which shows how we can save
time, money and most importantly, we can save lives,” said
Schwarzenegger.
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