PALMETTO
CARE
CONNECTIONS
Kathy Schwarting, MHA
Executive Director
803-245-2672 phone
803-245-2673 fax
803-707-2378 cell
kathys@g3consults.com
CHANGE
It is not the strongest of the species that
survives, nor the most intelligent that survives.
It is the one that is the most adaptable to
change!”
“
 Charles Darwin
WHAT IS IT
HIGH DEFINITION HEALTHCARE
TELEHEALTH IS THE DELIVERY OF
HEALTH-RELATED SERVICES AND
INFORMATION VIA
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
TECHNOLOGIES
PALMETTO CARE CONNECTIONS
 Partnership with GPT through a
federally funded SETRC grant
approximately 3 years ago
 Expanded on efforts/collaborations
of MUSC with FCC funded PSPN
 SCORH and LCHCN brought
founding members to the table
MISSION/VISION/PURPOSE
 Mission: Facilitate healthcare access
across SC through the utilization of
innovative technology to promote the
provision of qualified medical
professionals of various disciplines
 Vision: Improving the health of South
Carolinians through telemedicine
MISSION/VISION/PURPOSE
To expand existing telemedicine/telehealth
applications and develop new
telemedicine/telehealth applications that
work to improve health care access to all
South Carolinians
PRIORITIES
 Build a sustainable Statewide Telehealth Network
 Work with rural communities/providers to ensure they
have access to quality health care
 Serve as a Clearinghouse for Telehealth/Telemedicine
information
 Navigate the steps of Telemedicine for providers
 Advocate for Telemedicine reimbursement by all payors
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Rick Foster, MD
SCHA
Jimmy McElligott, MD
MUSC
Graham Adams, Ph.D. SCORH
Roger Poston, Ed.D.
MUSC/PSPN
Ken Hiatt, CEO Allendale County Hospital
(Chairman)
Sam Stone, MD, Physician, RHC
TELEHEALTH ADVISORY COUNCIL
SCHA
SCORH
SCDMH
MUSC
PSPN
CAH
SCPHCA
SCDHHS
BCBSSC
USC SOM
AHEC
SCHOOL BASE RHC
RHC
COMMITTEES
EDUCATION:
Resurvey – 2013 Telemedicine Survey in
partnership with SC Rural Research
Center – last survey in 2008
Working on all-inclusive
Telemedicine/Telehealth Inventory List
Quarterly Newsletter
LEGISLATIVE
Committee chaired by Dr. Foster worked with
AAFP and SCMA to get language adopted in last
year’s legislative cycle that would mandate all
insurance payors to reimburse for telemedicine
services. Legislation was not passed but we made
some progress
LEGISLATIVE
Committee worked on a Bill that would
have mandated a 12 month Pilot Project
whereby employees of State Health Plan
could receive covered telemedicine
services beginning Jan 2014 Bill passed in
Senate, held up in House and did not pass
LEGISLATIVE
 BCBSSC began funding telemedicine for stroke, OB and
psych on August 1, 2013
 Legislative appropriation for Telemedicine to MUSC
 Funding Proviso for OB/Telemedicine for counties of
Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell & Hampton
CURRENT PROJECTS
Working with a couple of rural hospitals on grant
applications for telemedicine projects
Working with MUSC to install telemedicine
equipment in primary care settings across state for
nutritional counseling and other services as
identified by PCPs
CURRENT PROJECTS
 2013 Telemedicine Survey/Analyze results and develop
strategies to meet needs of providers
 Telemedicine Inventory List
 Update Website and develop linkages
 Develop Strategic Plan for implementation of Statewide
Telehealth Model with Medical Schools as Anchors
 Expand PSPN providers which will allow for connectivity
between referring and consulting provider
CURRENT PROJECTS
 Meet with health care providers to assess clinical
needs/determine equipment needs/connectivity needs
 Work with partners/vendors to develop universal
telehealth cart that can be used for multiple platforms
 Grant Development
 Review evaluations of 2013 Telehealth Summit
 Develop/Distribute Telehealth Newsletter
MARKETING
Website www.palmettocareconnections.org
 2nd Annual Summit October 10, 2013
Newsletter
Visits to health care sites
SUSTAINABILITY
Membership model/template to be implemented in
2014
Grant applications
Contract with partners
Potential to contract with MUSC for
appropriations
SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS IN SC
SCHOOLS
REACH MUSC
SCDMH Telepsychiatry
USC HIV TRAINING CENTER
GHS Telestroke
Roper Telehomecare
BUILDING A HEALTHCARE
SUPERHIGHWAY
Palmetto State Providers Network (PSPN)
Initially Funded in 2009 - $9.5-million
FCC Rural Health Pilot Program & Universal
Services Administrative Company (USAC)
Dedicated Broadband Connections for
Healthcare Delivery & Education
Originally Connected 57 Locations Across
South Carolina – Over 100 Today
PSPN VISION
 Provide a statewide medical grade broadband network that is secure and
affordable for public and private healthcare providers and suppliers
 Bridge the digital gap between rural and urban healthcare providers and
key supporting facilities
 Enable high-value IT/telemedicine applications that can dramatically
reduce overall healthcare costs
W W W. P S P N S C . O R G
21
KEY PSPN FEATURES
 Any-to-any connection,
 PSPN provides high
similar to Internet
 Flat rate for connections
anywhere on network
 A single, PSPN Ethernet
connection serves multiple
purposes
bandwidth, private
broadband for superior
security and performance vs
Internet
 HD video conferencing
 Bandwidth Options:
 5Mb – 10 Gb
 Internet
 Private broadband
 EMR
 Telemedicine, video, etc
W W W. P S P N S C . O R G
22
LOCATIONS SERVED IN SOUTH
CAROLINA
W W W. P S P N S C . O R G
23
FCC’S NEW HEALTHCARE
CONNECT FUND
 Effective July 1, 2013
 FCC will pay 65% of PSPN fee for existing and new PSPN locations
 Multi-year funding commitments available for PSPN
 Eligible Public or not-for-profit
 All existing PSPN locations now funded
 Hospitals, Rural health clinics, community mental health centers , local health
departments, post secondary educational institutions/teaching hospitals/medical
schools
 Off-site admin and data centers now eligible.
W W W. P S P N S C . O R G
24
PSPN IS SOUTH CAROLINA’S
CONSORTIUM
 PSPN is an existing, approved consortium
 Easy transition from Pilot Program to Healthcare Connect Fund
 Urban HCPs may participate in the funding if they belong to a consortium that has a
majority rural HCPs
 New locations outside existing consortium (PSPN) or new consortiums
cannot apply for funding until 2014
W W W. P S P N S C . O R G
25
CHANGE
“The only way to make sense out of
change is to plunge into it, move with it
and join the dance.”
English Philosopher – Alan Watts
CONTACT
 Kathy Schwarting, MHA
 Executive Director
 Palmetto Care Connections
 1880 Main Highway
 Bamberg, SC 29003
 803-245-2672 phone
 803-245-2673 fax
 803-707-2378 cell
 kathys@g3consults.com
 www.palmettocareconnections.com