Well Connected: Strategies for Collaboration, Transparency and Compromise in Telemedicine

1. Well Connected: Strategies for Collaboration, Transparency and Compromise in Telemedicine Tina Benton, BSN, RN

2. Arkansas – Our Situation Total Population 2,889,450 10 Largest Cities: Little Rock, 188k Fort Smith, 83k Fayetteville, 64k North Little Rock, 60k Jonesboro, 59k Pine Bluff, 54k Springdale, 52k Conway, 48k Rogers, 44k Hot Springs, 37k • Mainly rural • Physicians not evenly distributed across the state • Small hospitals can’t afford specialists “Where you live shouldn’t determine whether you live or die.”

3. The Opportunity • Rural Utilities Service Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) and • The NTIA Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) This funding would provide us with the opportunity to fully connect the state for telemedicine and education

4. The Goal • A health care “Super Highway” • Video, imaging and data for education, research and clinical • Uniting 400+ health care and educational partners to build a single broadband infrastructure

5. The Outcome A final partnership of 474 anchor institutions which include: • 59 acute care hospitals • 154 clinics • 15eICUs • 88 ATOM clinics • 18 AHECs and centers on aging • 11 four-year publicly supported universities • 6 state human development centers • 37community health centers • 58 Mental health sites • 22 home health agencies • 7 public libraries • The state’s only academic medical center • The state’s only publicly owned fiber optic network

6. Mental Health Sites

7. Scattered Distribution of Existing Telehealth Networks to be Consolidated to Create the Arkansas Telehealth Network

8. Expansion of the Arkansas Telehealth Network: Site Updates and Site Additions

9. Expansion of the Arkansas Telehealth Network: Access to AREON Fiber Network and Arkansas Educational Video Network

10. Thank You