Organization Profile
Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center
Organization Overview
The Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center was created in 2005 when representatives from nine geographic regions (Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands) gathered together as a consortium to develop a resource center to assist healthcare organizations, healthcare networks, and healthcare providers in the implementation of cost-effective telehealth programs serving rural and medically underserved areas and populations. A Board of Directors was formed with two (2) representatives from each of the nine geographic areas represented by the NRTRC. Membership includes individuals engaged in the delivery and/or promotion of telehealth services in the consortium states and who have expressed an interest in membership in the NRTRC. In addition to Board representation, the NRTRC has a mission and vision statement, bylaws, and an elected executive committee.
The objectives of the NRTRC are to improve our current abilities to provide telehealth by increasing efficiency, increasing markets, increasing communication and fostering new ideas through sharing telehealth resources. The purpose of the NRTRC is:
* To ensure that federal and state investments in telehealth programs are more effectively used through collaborative growth and opportunity development
* To promote more effective delivery of telehealth services through sharing of information and leveraging of developed resources across multiple telehealth systems
* To assist in the development of new telehealth programs through expertise sharing and organized technical assistance in a peer based, non-competitive, objective environment
St. Vincent Healthcare Foundation, on behalf of the Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center Board of Directors received a grant from HRSA (OAT – Office for the Advancement of Telehealth) to establish the Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center in September 2006. This three year grant ends August 31, 2009. We anticipate another round of grant funds through OAT. We plan to fund a 0.5FTE Executive Director position; this individual will be responsible for actively developing the core business of the Resource Center as identified in the Job Description. Revenue sources or funding may become available to consider a 1.0FTE position during this RFP process.
Notable Accomplishments / Recognition
http://www.nrtrc.org/