SwiftMD Empowers Consumers, Businesses with Breakthrough Telemedicine Service
SwiftMD has launched its Web- and phone-based medical consultation and patient education services. SwiftMD is available 24/7 to diagnose and treat urgent and noncritical healthcare problems over the phone, Internet or via bi-directional video. Committed to expanding consumer choice through telemedicine, SwiftMD provides quality and convenient health care, while simultaneously decreasing costs for consumers and employers.

“SwiftMD takes health care out of offices and emergency rooms and delivers it where patients are – their homes, workplaces, in transit or on vacation. The exam room of the future will be where patients are,” said Elliot Justin, M.D., founder of SwiftMD and a board-certified emergency medicine physician for more than 30 years. “The future of healthcare is virtual and virtually unlimited for those who want to embrace change.”

SwiftMD physicians can treat 70 percent to 75 percent of all primary care medical cases and 40 percent to 50 percent of emergency room cases. For those cases that require in-person emergency, primary or specialty care, SwiftMD refers patients to the appropriate treatment facility.

SwiftMD delivers a phone or bi-directional Internet video consultation with an emergency medicine physician within approximately 30 minutes of a member’s initial request. There is a one-time registration fee for the set-up of a member’s secure and HIPAA compliant personal health record (PHR), a monthly membership fee and a consultation fee for each SwiftMD visit.

SwiftMD doctors interact with members by phone or Internet, review members’ PHRs and diagnose non-critical illnesses or conditions. Physicians can prescribe and refill medications and order lab tests when necessary. Physicians can also facilitate follow-up care with an ER, specialist or primary care physicians.

Employers, health plans and government agencies will benefit by offering SwiftMD as a service to their employees as a cost-effective alternative to expensive and time-consuming emergency department or urgent care visits. Swift MD is now available in New York with plans to expand nationwide.

AMD Global Telemedicine, Inc. Deploys Telemedicine Devices into Newly Launched Child Telehealth Pilot Program
AMD Global Telemedicine and Cherokee Health Systems collaborated to help launch a telemedicine program in 17 schools in Sevier County, Tenn.  In addition to this new technology, all Sevier County schools from grades Kindergarten through eighth grade now have a registered nurse.

The Sevier County School System, through a partnership with Cherokee Health Systems, has launched the Sevier County Student Medical Assistance Response Team (S.M.A.R.T.) at the 17 schools in the district with elementary and middle grades. Telemedicine is a key component of S.M.A.R.T.  Telemedicine is being used to connect the K-8 children of the school district through video imaging to medical providers (while those children stay at school.) The telemedicine connection is a secure, two-way video link with the child and the school nurse on one end and a medical provider on the other. 

During a telemedicine visit, a child can be screened, examined, diagnosed, treated and monitored. Special equipment gives the medical provider the ability to examine the child’s ears, eyes, nose, throat, lungs, skin, etc. The ability to keep students in school to diagnose, rather than have them miss important class time is extraordinary in the eyes of both administrators and parents. This leads to more time in the classroom, overall better performance in class without worry of children falling behind and eventually a higher graduation rate. It’s also very helpful for parents who can remain at work and not have to worry about losing time to what can generally be very lengthy, time consuming doctor’s appointments.

This newly implemented, efficient way to examine and diagnose student’s ailments in schools is being very well accepted. The students think the whole concept is really neat.

The Intel Health Guide Is Designed to Enable More Personalized Care Management for Chronic and Age-related Conditions
American Medical Alert Corp. (NASDAQ:AMAC), a provider of healthcare communication services and advanced home health monitoring technologies, has executed a market channel partner agreement with Intel to provide the Intel Health Guide as part of its portfolio of Health and Safety Monitoring Systems (HSMS) offerings.
The Intel Health Guide, which received 510(k) market clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in July, is a comprehensive personal health system that combines an in-home patient device, the Intel Health Guide PHS6000, as well as an online interface, the Intel Health Care Management Suite, allowing clinicians to monitor patients in their homes and manage care remotely. The Health Guide is designed to be used by healthcare professionals to manage their patients at home.

States Are Wired for Health Information Technology
States are moving at an unprecedented rate to get their health care systems wired and connected. And each year, they increase their speed.

To this end, states are passing legislation on health information technology to try to improve the quality of care and control hemorrhaging costs. Lawmakers around the country introduced more than 370 bills relating to health information technology during an 18-month period between 2007 and 2008, according to, “Health Information Technology 2007 and 2008 State Legislation,” a new report from the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Specifically, 132 bills containing health information technology provisions were enacted in 44 states and the District of Columbia. That's three times as many bills enacted compared to the same period from 2005 to 2006. The majority of bills relate to financing and planning efforts. Six states enacted comprehensive measures aimed at protecting patient privacy while facilitating the exchange of health data.  

States consider health information technology an integral part of their health reform initiatives, according to the report. President-elect Barack Obama also mentioned health information technology often during the presidential campaign as a way to improve overall care across the country.

Although health care has been slow to adopt the information technology wave that has swept other sectors of the US economy, states and the health care industry now view health IT as a chance to improve quality and reduce costs. In this report, health information technology refers to the use of technology to electronically collect, store, retrieve and transfer clinical, administrative and financial health information. 
This report identifies and analyzes major policy trends contained in the enacted legislation. Some of the state bills address simplifying the ways to link vital pieces of patient data scattered across providers. Others ensure patient medical records are kept private. The report, produced through NCSL's Forum on State Health Policy Leadership, found that states consider having patient data in one location essential for ensuring high-quality care and reducing duplicative tests and procedures. 

Statewide Center for Telehealth Established in California
The California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF) has established the California Center for Connected Health (CCCH), a strategy and planning body to lead and coordinate telehealth adoption throughout the state. The Sacramento-based organization will be led by Sandra Shewry, former director of the California Department of Health Care Services, who will become president and CEO, effective January 1, 2009.

Telehealth connects patients in remote or underserved areas of the state with medical providers and educators, overcoming barriers of time and distance and delivering health services and education in places that lack those resources. CHCF’s support for telehealth is part of its broader mission to promote innovations in health care that can deliver affordable, high-quality care to more Californians. A recent influx of funds into the state for telehealth initiatives created the need for an organization to coordinate efforts.

Millions of dollars in new federal and state funds are available to support an expansion of California’s telehealth infrastructure, including approximately a $30-million investment in broadband and connectivity through a pilot program with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the California Telehealth Network (CTN), and $200 million in Prop 1D infrastructure financing to expand telehealth and medical education through the University of California. The Prop 1D funding, approved by California voters in 2006, includes $10 million for a “Community Investment Fund” to help equip community health care sites partnering with the University of California to enhance access to medical services through telehealth.

While the FCC and Prop 1D grant funds will expand the telehealth infrastructure, CCCH will be the coordinating body that fosters the vision for its future in California and links together the many groups and individuals necessary to make telehealth a reality.
The California Center for Connected Health will connect stakeholders including state agencies, provider groups and public and private sector organizations to set the strategy and vision for a sustainable telehealth model in California.

Xceedium Expands North American Presence through Strategic Distribution Partnership with COMPUTERLINKS
Xceedium, Inc., a provider of entitlement management solutions that control high-risk users, has signed a strategic distribution partnership with COMPUTERLINKS, a distributor of security and mobility solutions. COMPUTERLINKS will distribute and provide sales and engineering support for the Xceedium GateKeeper and Xceedium GateKeeper 620 to its North American reseller base, in support of the increasing demand for management and control solutions for high-risk users.

With offices across Europe, North America and Asia, COMPUTERLINKS enables its partners to operate on a global scale. By offering its channel customers a comprehensive portfolio of commercially viable products coupled with the expertise and services required to facilitate the complete solution, COMPUTERLINKS aids its clientele in providing secure commercial Internet applications to their corporate customers. Adding Xceedium’s entitlement management solutions to this portfolio expands the breadth of solutions available to end users and adds important incremental revenue opportunities for the COMPUTERLINKS reseller base.

New Video Champion Awards to Recognize Innovation in Video Communications
TANDBERG, provider of telepresence, high-definition (HD) video conferencing and mobile video solutions, is accepting entries for the first Video Champion Awards, giving companies and organizations across the US and Canada the opportunity to creatively showcase their applications and achievements in the use of video communications.

The Video Champion Awards will honor organizations that are demonstrating positive impact and influence in video communications. Entrants will be awarded for innovations that break through conventional processes and highlight new ways of using video communications to help organizations, teams or individuals achieve their goals.

Reviewed and selected by an independent panel of judges comprised of video conferencing industry experts, five category winners will be invited to the TANDBERG Awards Gala held in conjunction with VoiceCon 2009 in Orlando (March 30-April 2, 2009). An overall "Video Champion of the Year" will be awarded to the winner from the five categories with the best approach to achieving distinctive results through the use of video.

Winners will receive a free trip for two, for two nights in Orlando including airfare and lodging at the Gaylord Palms Hotel for the TANDBERG Video Champion Awards Dinner, plus a $250 cash prize. In addition, their winning video submission will be featured prominently on the TANDBERG Web site.

The Call for Entries period will run from Dec. 2, 2008 through February 13, 2009. Entries must be in the form of a video not to exceed two minutes; creativity is encouraged. For more information about TANDBERG's Video Champion Awards including rules, regulations and directions for submitting your entry, visit www.tandberg.com/videochampionawards. Video submissions will be highlighted on the Video Champion Awards channel on YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/VideoChampionAwards.

Open to all companies and organizations currently utilizing video communications in the US and Canada, winners will be chosen from the video submissions illustrating the best use of video in the following categories: business innovation, environmental impact, telework, education/training and work/life balance.

American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing (AAACN)
Annual Conference - MARCH 26-30, 2009
Philadelphia, PA.  Earn over 30's CEs

Network with telehealth nurses from across the country and hear nationally known speakers present on these telehealth topics:

-Essential Components of Telephone Nursing: A Model to Guide your Practice (2 hr. special session)
-Juggling Efficiencies, Quality of Care, and Standard Adherence: Formulating Telehealth Performance Metrics (2 hr. workshop)
-Implementing a Telephone Triage Decision Support Tool in the Primary Care Setting
-Bridging the Gap:  Building Healthier Communities One Caller at a Time
-Critical Thinking and Telephone Triage: Making the Right Choices
-Due Diligence:  Hiring the best Candidate for your Telehealth Position
-All-day Post-Conference newly updated Telehealth Nursing Practice Core Course (TNPCC). 
-Network at the Telehealth Special Interest Group Meeting

Certification:
Telehealth nurses are encouraged to achieve certification in ambulatory care.  Take the all-day Certification Review Course on Thursday, 3/26, then sit for the ANCC Ambulatory Care Nursing Certification Exam on Sunday, 3/29.  Pre-registration for the exam with ANCC by December 19, 2008 is required. 

View the full conference brochure/register online at:
www.aaacn.org/conference
Pat Reichart
Association Services Manager
American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing
P.O. Box 56
Pitman, NJ  08071-0056
Phone: 800-AMB-NURS
E-mail: reichartp@ajj.com
Website: www.aaacn.org
Come to our 34th Annual Conference
"Leading the Revolution in Building Healthier Communities"
March 26-29, 2009 in Philadelphia, PA
Take the Ambulatory Care Nursing Exam on Sunday, 3/29.
Purchase recordings from the 2008 Chicago, IL conference
at www.prolibraries.com/aaacn
Purchase these resources:
-2nd Edition Core Curriculum for Ambulatory Care Nursing
Earn over 30 contact hours
-Ambulatory Care Nursing Administration & Practice Standards, 2007
-Telehealth Nursing Practice Administration & Practice Standards, 2007
-Telehealth Nursing Practice Resource Directory, 2008

US Commercial Service, Invest in Germany and Hannover Fairs USA Inc. to hold Breakfast Briefing on exporting Health IT to Europe

On Friday, December 5th, companies with an interest to export their ICT solutions for telemedicine and healthcare management will have a chance to meet and network over a continental breakfast at the Westin San Francisco Airport Hotel.
Jointly organized by the USDOC, Invest in Germany and CeBIT (organizer of TeleHealth 2009), this event offers an ideal setting to learn about opportunities and challenges of selling into Europe. Attendees will also have a chance to compare notes with peers who have already successfully ventured down the path of marketing their Telemedicine and eHealth solutions internationally.

                                    Preliminary Program (8am-11am)

• Overview of TeleHealth and Healthcare IT export opportunities in Europe (U.S. Commercial Service/USDOC)
• Germany as an Export Destination (Invest in Germany)
• Important Opportunities for California companies and venue to showcase product/services (Hannover Fairs USA, Inc./CeBIT)
• Case Study: European export strategy, experience and challenges (Entra Health Systems)
• Q&A / Networking

 
Register at www.hfusa.com/cebit_05dec08 or contact Ms. Ulli Hammer at uhammer@hfusa.com, 609-987-1202 x 205 for more information.