The Maryland Health Care Commission (MHHC) http://mhcc.maryland.gov has awarded $90,000 in grants to assist three underserved communities use telehealth to deliver primary and specialty care services for managing chronic illnesses.
MHHC is a 15 member independent regulatory agency whose mission is to plan for health system needs, promote informed decision-making, increase accountability, and improve access in a rapidly changing healthcare environment.
The three grantees are Associated Black Charities www.abc-md.org of Dorchester County in partnership with Choptank Community Health Systems www.choptankhealth.org, Gerald Family Care http://geraldfamilycare.com in partnership with Dimensions Healthcare System www.dimensiionshealth.org, and Union Hospital www.uhcc.com of Cecil County.
Each grantee is required to match state funds two to one from other sources to demonstrate commitment to creating a program that has the possibility to be self-sustaining at the end of the grant period.
The telehealth projects will launch this month and will continue through May 2017. All three grantees will use the funds to enable providers to connect with patients in real-time with two of the projects using mobile tablets to connect with a patient in their home.
The grantees are required to implement the technology in a meaningful way, including developing clinical protocols to demonstrate improved outcomes. Grantees also must use an EHR and the services of the State-Designated HIE called the” Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients” (CRISP) http://crisphealth.org.
Last September, CRISP announced the development of their “Integrated Care Network” (ICN) connecting providers in multiple settings from hospitals and physician practices to long-term care facilities.
For information, contact Erin Dorrien, Chief of Government and Public Affairs at 443-615-1338.