The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) is committed to supporting state and territorial health officials and their leadership teams in their work to address the health needs of uninsured and underserved populations. Given significant barriers to accessing care for rural and underserved populations, states are looking to innovate health promotion and care delivery through the use of telehealth for the provision of appropriate and timely services, ranging from health prevention and primary care, to specialty services.
This webinar will provide a brief overview of how states are using telehealth to improve access, address health disparities, and provide opportunities to reach traditionally underserved populations. The webinar will also highlight two examples of current and emerging telehealth initiatives in Hawaii and Alaska. Specific objectives include:
Provide a snapshot of telehealth activities ongoing in states from a national perspective.
Describe the policy framework necessary for public health agencies to support the infrastructure of a successful telehealth program.
Describe Hawaii’s telehealth initiatives, including recent legislation and its ongoing implementation.
Describe Alaska’s successful use of telehealth for improving access to care for tribal populations, and current initiatives to expand its use.
Discuss with audience members about the use of telehealth by state health departments.
This webinar will devote a significant portion of time to open Q&A with the presenters to answer topic specific questions related to leveraging telehealth to improve population health and lessons learned in these highlighted initiatives.