Pacific Basin Telehealth Initiative
Special
Project 1999-2001
Contact
for Consortium activities:
Maureen Fochtman, Ed.D
Univ. of Guam, College of Nursing and Health Sciences
fochtman@uog9.uog.edu
Contact
for Palau activities:
Steve Kuartei, M.D.
Ministry of Health, Palau
kuartei@palaunet.com
Contact
for American Samoa activities:
Dr. Joe Tufa
Department of Health, American Samoa
jufa@rocketmail.com
Contact for Northern Marianas:
Joe Santos
Commonwealth Health Center, CNMI
jsantos@chc.cnmi.mp
Project
Partners: Universities and colleges, public health,
health center, hospitals, health officers association,
educational and telecommunications experts
Service
Area: The six US-affiliated Pacific jurisdictions
(American Samoa, Guam, Palau, Republic of the Marshall
Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and Commonwealth
of the Northern Mariana Islands)
Major
Services: Interactive and store-and-forward clinical
consultations, access to continuing education, technical
assistance, use of satellite videoconferencing centers,
regional and jurisdictional planning
Equipment: Polycom videoconferencing, peripherals, laptops
for store-and-forward
Transmission: Satellite and land T1 lines for interactive;
dial-up for store-and-forward
Key
Features:
As
part of a three year HRSA initiative, telehealth planning
and deployment activities are underway in the six
former U.S. trust territories in the Pacific Basin.
About 454,000 people live in the jurisdictions, which
are scattered across 104 inhabited islands covering
an expanse of ocean larger than the continental United
States. The project began in 1999.
Each
jurisdiction has participated in a new regional telehealth
consortium, received extensive technical assistance,
and will write a jurisdictional telehealth plan. The
consortium has focused on cataloging educational,
telemedicine, and telecommunications resources; promoting
distance education offerings via a website; and coordinating
regional efforts. In addition, two sites (Kosrae and
the Marshall Islands) have access to a satellite communication
center which has been used for health training via
videoconferencing.
Interactive
technology has been deployed in three jurisdictions
with high speed telecom-munications lines. American
Samoa has used the system for pediatric follow-up
consultations, and CNMI has used it for administrative
meetings and training. A store-and-forward link will
be established between hospitals and clinics in Palau.
This grant will close out in FY 2002.
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