A Message From UTN’s Associate Director
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Dear Friends,
As the new Associate Director for the Utah Telehealth Network (UTN), I am learning every day that the telehealth capabilities supported by UTN are critical to ensuring healthcare access and affordability across the state of Utah, especially for rural communities.
We know that healthcare is a game-changer: access to care is a predictor for quality of life, productivity and longevity. We also know that telehealth is an essential tool for better access. Our rural communities represent the heart of our state’s culture, history, tourism economy and so much more. The residents of these communities – and every community – deserve access to high quality healthcare.
How is UTN part of the solution?
UTN’s mission is to expand access to healthcare services and resources through the innovative application of technology. Our team works with healthcare clinics, hospitals and health departments to ensure access to a secure, affordable and reliable network that meets their clinical and operational needs. In addition, UTN supports the adoption and use of technology and applications for healthcare providers and schools to establish and/or expand telehealth capabilities. To learn more about UTN visit here.
“No one in rural Utah hangs their heads about health outcomes. Instead, they band together to work for a better solution.”
– Brady Bradford, Health Officer for the Southeast Utah Health Department
UTN operates as a consortium in the Federal Communication Commission’s Rural Healthcare Connect Fund (HCF) to provide significant discounts on telecommunication services for eligible rural healthcare facilities. Many of our healthcare sites are in rural locations with limited IT options, making UTN’s managed security services and ability to support discounts on broadband network access extremely important. More information about the Healthcare Connect Fund program can be found here.
As a long-time resident of Utah, I am thrilled to be part of the UTN team, working with healthcare providers, state government and other stakeholders to expand access to healthcare services in ways that are transforming communities and saving lives.
Sincerely,
Sarah Bauman
Associate Director
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2024 NRTRC Conference Highlights!
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On April 29, the staff of the Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center (NRTRC) kicked off their annual conference The Next Generation of Telehealth: From Reactionary to Visionary in Seattle, Washington.
The NRTRC serves a seven-state region (AK, WA, OR, MT, ID, WY, UT) with a mission to advance the development, integration and equity of telehealth programs in rural and medically underserved communities. NRTRC assists health care providers and organizations in implementing cost-effective digital health programs to serve rural and medically underserved areas and populations.
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As the parent organization for NRTRC, UTN was thrilled to support the conference and participate in the informative presentations and networking sessions. |
Over three days, conference attendees were inspired, educated, informed, challenged and invited to engage with presenters, exhibitors and fellow participants. The venue at The Husky Union Building at the University of Washington was filled with industry experts, thought leaders and innovators committed to sharing their knowledge. Presentations focused on building, managing and growing telehealth programs as well as emerging AI technologies, clinical programs, remote patient monitoring, school-based telehealth kits, video conferencing and more. |
Presentation Takeaways!
Technology cannot and should not replace people.
People are critical to technology success: designing the programs, managing the technology and deploying change management strategies to support effective adoption and utilization. In his keynote, Dr. John Scott (Professor of Medicine, Chief Digital Health Officer from the University of Washington Medicine) described the promise of AI to improve medical testing, diagnosis, patient communication and the development of new medications; however, caution is warranted.
As Dr. Scott described, AI requires human navigation and management and we must work together to understand and address challenges such as the validity of the data used, hallucination rates, privacy concerns, and more. It is clear that AI will continue to evolve in its capacity to transform patient care as we know it, but medical personnel are critical to its success!
Technology is only one tool in the toolbox.
Krista Stadler (Healthcare Innovation Manager for Amazon) reminded us that telehealth has been around for a long time; dating as far back as 500 BCE with the use of smoke signals to call for resources and medical help. Regarding the future of telehealth, she posed the crucial question:
“Are we solving complex healthcare problems or chasing technology?”
Stadler encouraged the audience to get granular about the problem and then determine if/how telehealth and specific technologies should/can be part of the solution.
Digital inclusion and building digital equity are critical.
With an entire day dedicated to digital equity, the conference emphasized that the delivery of healthcare via telehealth hinges on digital equity. This requires us to address the equity barriers that exist in our communities, such as affordability, lack of support for technology utilization and geographic isolation.
Digital equity enables all of the other determinants of health to ensure positive health outcomes and there are models out there to help drive digital inclusion and build digital equity. Models for addressing barriers include digital navigator programs and digital inclusion coalitions that aim to build comprehensive digital health programs.
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A huge Thank You! to the University of Utah conference management staff for supporting event logistics, including the NRTRC Advisory Board Gratitude Gathering held at the Seattle Mariners Baseball Game!
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Bottom of the 9th and they SCORE!
Seattle Mariners: 2
Atlanta Braves: 1
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Join the Broadband Challenge and
Ensure High-Speed Internet for All
Utah is on the brink of a transformative change, pending a substantial boost of nearly 400 million dollars in federal funding. This significant investment aims to expand high-speed internet access, paving the way for a more connected and digitally advanced Utah. In order to ensure high-speed internet is available to all, the State of Utah is conducting a Broadband Challenge. Everyone across the state is encouraged to conduct an internet speed test to ensure that the map for how funds are dispersed is accurate.
To learn more about the State Broadband Challenge and how you can help, contact The Center for Economic Opportunity Programming Director Rob Roake at rroake@belonginutah.org.
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Help Shape the Future of Healthcare!
The UTN Advisory Council needs your expertise and experience to help guide strategic planning and ensure that telehealth technologies, technical assistance and program development support are accessible and affordable for our communities. Learn more about the UTN Advisory Council and view open positions here.
For information about the application process, please contact Sarah Bauman at sarah@utn.org.
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2024 Tech Summit: June 19-20
***Limited Reduced Registrations Available!***
The UETN Tech Summit represents a unique opportunity for IT professionals to learn and network with peers from the healthcare and education sectors.
Areas of focus will include wireless technology, AI, cybersecurity and more. Conference details can be found here: UETN Tech Summit.
To receive a registration discount code, please email Brian Crowther at brian@utn.org. Once you have the code, you can register here.
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