Arizona Telemedicine Program
Network Membership Services

Congratulations on your decision to join the exciting world of telemedicine!

 The Arizona Telemedicine Program (ATP) team, in existence since July of 1996, has developed a great deal of expertise in all aspects of telemedicine and has had many “lessons learned”.  That expertise and those lessons will be shared with you to help integrate telemedicine into your facility with as little difficulty and stress as possible.  Our team includes experts in the field of network design and management, administration, clinical care, protocol development, billing and reimbursement, evaluation, legal and regulatory issues, telemedicine technology, training, marketing, outreach, on-line information resources, and distance education.   The Director of the program, Dr. Ronald S. Weinstein, has been a national and international leader in telemedicine since 1986.  He is a past President of the American Telemedicine Association, the largest telemedicine association in the world. 

 We know you have a lot of questions and many decisions to make.  The Arizona Telemedicine Program team is going to guide you through the process of creating a program tailored to your individual needs. 

 Because the Arizona Telemedicine Program is a state-funded, not-for-profit organization we are able to provide these services for a minimal fee.  This fee offsets costs of personnel involved in:

 ·        Site Assessment

·        Equipment Selection and Installation

·        Network Design and Installation

·        Formal Training in theory and use of telemedicine in a clinical environment

·        Coordination of Continuing Education Activities, Events & Meetings

·        Network Management & Technical Services

·        Billing and Reimbursement Training

·        FCC Universal Services Fund Reimbursement

Each of these activities is complex and there are, of course, some limitations inherent when multiple healthcare organizations and telecommunications networks are involved.  We will address these as well as solutions in the Membership Services Guide included in this packet.

Membership Services Guide

The Arizona Telemedicine Membership Model is based on the ability to target your needs to the offerings of the program.  The following provides details on the full membership model.

Site Assessment: 

An ATP Network Membership will include an on-site assessment of the clinic and/or conference space targeted for use for telemedicine or teleconferencing activities.  Recommendations will be made on lighting, paint colors, sound proofing, furniture and other needs to optimize your telemedicine capabilities.

Equipment Selection and Installation:

ATP staff will provide specifications of ATP Network compatible telemedicine applications and network equipment.  Sites are strongly urged to select ATP Network compatible telemedicine applications equipment.  Failure to do so may result in inability to successfully utilize the network’s clinical and educational capabilities.   To download a PDF version of the latest copy of the Arizona Telemedicine Program Compatible Telemedicine Applications Equipment list.

Teleradiology and Network Equipment Contact: 

Questions regarding teleradiology applications equipment and network connections should be directed to the Associate Director for Network Architecture.

Network Design and Installation: 

An ATP Network Membership will include the development of a working plan to estimate costs of incorporating the networking, telecommunications, end user equipment, and membership requirements for each site to connect to the Arizona Telemedicine Program network.  Actual costs could vary from estimates due to timing, types of equipment, etc; actual costs will be billed back to the member site on a mutually agreed upon payment schedule.

Technical Services:

An ATP Network membership provides access to the following technical services:

• Technical information and consulting as necessary to support a Private Network Interface between the Arizona telemedicine communications network and the member site. 
• Consultation to member site personnel in the techniques for conducting successful telemedicine operations, including support for connection of telemedicine equipment.

Network Management & Technical Services

• ATP staff will monitor network operations and troubleshoot any network problems, working with member network staff, network equipment vendors, and telecommunications carriers as necessary to resolve any operational issues relating to communications over the Arizona Telemedicine Program network infrastructure.

Telemedicine Training in theory and use of telemedicine in a clinical environment:

Under the network membership agreement, the University of Arizona’s Telemedicine Program will:

• Provide a two (2) day training seminar covering a broad range of telemedicine topics including, but not limited to, business and reimbursement, clinical protocols, technical operations and legal/regulatory issues. 

Coordination of Continuing Education Activities, Events & Meetings

• Provide access to Continuing Medical Education/Continuing Education content offered by any member of the network.
• Sites may view a listing of upcoming educational events at the Arizona Telemedicine Program Web Educational Event Calendar:      http://calendar.aztel.arizona.edu/cme
• A 3-month archive of past educational events is available via the University of Arizona Streaming Video Server at: http://video.biocom.arizona.edu/video/
• ATP can coordinate national broadcasts of interest if the program is offered free of charge.  ATP does not have the capability of collecting fees for participation in activities.
• ATP is responsible for processing CME/CE credit offered by the University of Arizona. 
• Network members providing CME/CE content will be responsible for processing credits for their offerings. 

Note:

If there is interest in participating in an event, call/email the CE Coordinator as soon as possible to be connected for the event.  The CE Coordinator will help coordinate Continuing Education credit for your site personnel who participate.  These connections are two-way interactive video; therefore your staff may have questions answered by presenting faculty/instructors. 

Business Services

• Billing and Reimbursement Training

ATP personnel can provide individualized billing and reimbursement training to network members.  This can be provided by video conferencing or by special phone conferencing. However, an overview is provided in the 2-day training program.
 

• FCC Universal Services Fund Reimbursement Application

The FCC Universal Services Fund – Rural Health Care Division - is a federal government program to “level the playing field” for qualifying rural health care sites to offset the high costs for the long telecommunications lines needed to connect rural sites to the network.  The ATP Business Office can provide assistance to member sites in filing for FCC Universal Services Fund reimbursements for rural telecommunications lines.  This service could save qualifying member sites significant amounts of money on their network connectivity expenses.  FCC Universal Fund credits are applied to the respective telecommunications line charges, and future invoices are credited until the credit balance is $-0-.

• Network Telecommunications and Equipment Procurement

ATP can act as the purchasing agent for network equipment, telecommunications circuits and network equipment maintenance agreements required to facilitate connectivity to the Arizona Telemedicine Program network. A purchase order to ATP covering each item is required from the ATP member site in advance to utilize this service. Actual costs are recharged to the member organization based on payment schedule mutually agreed upon by the member organization and ATP.  

Access to Network Member Sites:
Any network member site can interact with other providers of services using the Arizona Telemedicine Program (ATP) Network with the understanding that all providers utilizing the network to provide service must have a membership agreement in place with the Arizona Telemedicine Program.  However, member sites are responsible for contacting other sites that they wish to interact with in advance to assure compatibility of applications equipment, and to arrange scheduling of facilities and staff.  No member site is in any way required to so participate.

     Detailed network map available in Adobe PDF format

 Note:  Refer to the map on the ATP Web Site to identify other network member sites.  Sites wishing to connect with other network sites should discuss need for connection with staff at the site of interest prior to requesting connection.  If a network connection is determined to be mutually agreeable with all sites in question, contact the Associate Director for Network Architecture to schedule the connection.  Connection issues vary depending on network application.  Since the network is “always on” most point-to-point data and video connections can be made directly by user site staff.  Multi-site video connections for educational or administrative purposes require advanced scheduling through the CE and Administrative Event Coordinator. 

Clinical Network Use
Generally, connections for clinical telemedicine require some form of business agreement between the participating sites that is negotiated in advance.  Arrangements to obtain professional services for specific clinical specialties, network management or other specialized services are covered in separate agreements with the appropriate provider and are not part of this Agreement.  It is necessary to take into consideration credentialing, licensure and malpractice issues when establishing clinical contracts between sites.

Contacts:

Administration:                     Sandy Beinar
                                              Associate Director Administration
                                              520-626-2493
                                               beinars@email.arizona.edu

Business:                              Gail Barker, PhD
                                              Associate Director, Finance
                                              602-827-2019
                                              barkerg@u.arizona.edu

• Universal Service      Bob Kerr, Senior Accountant
                                      520-626-8775
                                      rkerr@email.arizona.edu
   

• Purchase Orders        Bonnie Schellenberg
                                      Accounting Manager
                                      520-626-7981
                                      schelleb@u.arizona.edu

Clinical                                 Ana Maria Lopez, MD, MPH
                                              Medical Director
                                              520-626-2271
                                             alopez@azcc.arizona.edu

Continuing Education/         Tracy Skinner
Administrative Events &    Cont. Ed. & Admin. Event Coordinator
Meetings                              520-626-6103
                                              tskinner@email.arizona.edu

Network Equipment            Mike Holcomb
and Management:              Associate Director
                                             Network Architecture
                                             520-626-4496
                                             pager: 520-694-4480 PIN 3850
                                             holcomb@email.arizona.edu

Site Assessments and         Rick McNeely, Co-Director
Telemedicine Equipment:   520-626-7343
                                             rmcneely@biocom.arizona.edu

Telemedicine Training       Janae Cooley
                                            Marketing & Training Coordinator
                                            520-626-4786
                                            Janae@u.arizona.edu

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Updated:  May 3, 2007