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various implementation committees volunteered to help on behalf
of their respective organizations or as consumers and caregivers. Progress related to telehealth in areas of policy, reimbursement, and workforce development is noteworthy. More needs to be done, but the coalition has begun reaching out to the next generation of health care professionals by working with the Department of Education (DOE) to introduce the topic of telehealth to high school students interested in careers in the health professions starting with workshops at the Delaware HOSA — Future Health Professionals State Leadership introduce the topic of telehealth at the secondary school level in an effort to engage students to envision how technology can be a tool for delivering health care. As future health care professionals advance
to post-secondary training and education, the hope is that the use of technology in the delivery of health care will be securely ingrained in their minds as they learn to address challenges in meeting the health care needs of individuals across all populations. Additional educational opportunities are being discussed with DOE to include students in areas such as the public and community health curriculum, health
care information technology curriculum, and general information technology curriculum.
Delaware Telehealth Roundtable where strategic planning revealed the need for additional workforce development opportunities,
billing workshops, guidelines, standards, and outreach to increase
the exposure of telehealth to clinicians statewide. Of course, reimbursement issues with Medicare and large, self-insured employers (along with new payment models) on the horizon are at the top of
the list. This new strategic plan is still being developed, but with the engagement of so many talented and dedicated health care professionals and advocates, the state is destined for success.
CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS
CAROLYN MORRIS, MHSA, CTPM is Director of Telehealth Planning and Development at the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services and Co-Chair of the Delaware Telehealth Coalition. She also represents Delaware on the Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center’s Advisory Board.
INGRID PRETZER-ABOFF, PhD, RN is Co-Founder and Director of the University of Delaware Nurse Managed Parkinson’s Clinic. In 2010 she received the first Edmond J. Safra Philanthropic Foundation Distinguished Scholar in Nursing Award for Outstanding Achievement in Improving the Lives of People Living with Parkinson’s Disease.
GERARD GALLUCCI, MD, MHS is Director of Healthcare Integration at the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services and Co-Chair of the Delaware Telehealth Coalition.
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