2004 - 2005 Grantee Directory - Georgia

Network Partners: Oakhurst Medical Center, Dr. Carmen Wilson: phthalmologist.

Project Purpose: 1.) To design a training program for health care professionals aimed at achieving optimal health outcomes through evidenced based care, use of common communications technology, and health system change to promote effective delivery of patient centered care. 2.) To train nurses to obtain and electronically transmit digital retinal images and photographs to an ophthalmologist. 3.) To test the sensitivity of digital retinal screening to direct visualization in detecting diabetic retinopathy.

Outcomes Expected: Improved access to eye screening using a digital retinal camera will lead to the early detection of ocular complications in diabetic patients.

Service Area: This pilot will take place at Oakhurst Medical Center (OMC), a federally funded community health center in Stone Mountain, Georgia, Morehouse Medical Associates (MMA), a Practice Plan facility located in Atlanta, GA and the Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM), in Atlanta, GA.

Services Provided: Digital retinal images will be obtained and transmitted in real time for interpretation. Dr Wilson will interpret the images and provide an assessment & plan to the primary care provider. Any severe abnormalities such as retinal detachments, requiring acute treatment will be referred to Dr. Wilson immediately. Dr Wilson will provide comprehensive dilated fundoscopic exams twice a month to all patients screened for diabetes using the digital retinal camera.

Equipment: One Nidek Digital Fundus Camera, NAVIS Screener Patient Database Imaging Software, eye lane equipment.

Transmission: ISDN Lines and Metropolitan Ethernet. GEORGIA Rural Health Telemedicine Grant Program Ware County Health Department.

Network Partners: Ware County Health Department, Medical College of GA's Center for Telehealth and Children's Medical Center, Savannah Perinatology Associates, Wayne, Toombs, Bulloch, and Coffee Wellness Centers, Coffee Regional Medical Center, Grady Health System, Satilla and Pineland Community Services Boards and Children's Initiative.

Project Purpose: To directly impact health care access and outcomes using OAT funding to build upon existing network by (1) expanding clinical telemedicine sites, services and utilization levels, (2) developing distance learning services beyond current limited applications, and (3) developing a regional medical informatics initiative.

Outcomes Expected: Impact or outcome measures evaluated include such measures as evidence of improved perinatal outcomes, reduction in travel for specialized services outside the region, improvements in provider knowledge for key diagnosis based on pre-and post testing associated with distance learning activities. Tools used to collect data include patient, provider, and presenter satisfaction surveys, #/attendance; results, and OAT GPRA Performance Measures tool.

Service Area: The Ware County Health Department and its parent, the Southeast Health Unit includes a 16-COUNY SERVICE AREA. 14 of 16 counties are Primary Medical Care HPSAs, 16 of 16 counties are Mental Health HPSAs, 9 of 16 counties are Dental HPSAs, and 15 of 16 counties are Medically Underserved Areas MUAs.

Services Provided: The network has been operational since 1994. Services include Asthma, Allergy, Genetics, Perinatal Level II Ultrasound clinics, Dermatology, Child Psychiatry, and Sickle Cell. Five new clinics to include HIV/Infectious Disease and distance learning services will be operational January, 2004. Equipment: Polycom 970 and Polycom 680 videoconferencing units, specialized patient examination cameras, Extron 6 input-2 output S-video switch and Cisco routers. The Polycom VSX 7000 videoconferencing units have been chosen for our five new sites.

Transmission: All Wide Area Network (WAN) connections are T1 dedicated private line data circuits.