Virginia Telehealth Network- Operations Workgroup (VTN-OWG)
The Virginia Telehealth Network Operations Workgroup (VTN-OWG) is established through this charter. It is a planning and advisory body working in support of the Virginia Telehealth Network (VTN) which operates under the auspices of the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and various participating organizations and stakeholders.
The OWG shares the overall VTN vision of anyone, anywhere within the Commonwealth of Virginia having equal and ready access to health services and available medical expertise. The OWG believes the VTN capability will become an enabling resource for Commonwealth programs and initiatives targeted at preserving and improving the health and well being of all Virginians, by fostering interoperability of health systems.
In helping to realize this Vision, the OWG has a mission of setting up the conditions that will foster the adoption and mainstream integration of telehealth, and facilitate the exchange of health information and services in a high-quality and regulatory compliant manner across the network. And in doing so, create an environment that:
effectively delivers health care to patients
encourages collaboration between and amongst members
can be supported and facilitated by VTN technology architecture, and
can be accommodated within the parameters of the VTN’s business plan
Continuously review and make recommendations to improve upon the VTN Strategic Plan
Determine, monitor and continually re-evaluate and prioritize the medical needs in rural and urban settings that can be addressed by VTN solutions
Facilitate the centralized collection, development, documentation, validation and prioritization of overall telehealth requirements which includes unique regional or mission-specific requirements
Facilitate the design and implementation of telehealth services based on determinations
Recruit and maintain ongoing relationships with VTN members
Establish VTN standards and guidelines for electronic health information sharing
Identify and monitor key regulatory and policy issues important to the adoption and mainstream integration of telehealth
Develop provider and patient education materials pertaining to VTN and its services
Participate as testers and/or evaluators of technology solutions for the VTN Infrastructure Workgroup
Make recommendations to the VTN Business Workgroup on matters relating to reimbursement, participant compensation/payments, state and federal regulations (Note: Recommend that a special group be formed to work the business strategy and business plan issues)
Interface with various health agencies, commissions, workgroups, special interests and others constituents within Commonwealth government who can affect or otherwise influence OWG related efforts
Ensure work being done through the VTN is consistent with priorities established by the VTN, the Virginia Department of Health and the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Ensure work being done through the VTN is being done in a manner to maximize grant and similar funding opportunities
The OWG will be chaired initially by an appointee of the VDH and then subsequently by the VTN Director
Membership will consist of volunteer VTN members, with strong encouragement for cross VTN workgroup membership, and any VTN participants who may not have membership status with the VTN at large.
Any organization that is a member will identify a single point of contact who will act on behalf of the organization although others from the organization are welcomed to participate
Other members will be added on an as-needed basis
The OWG membership will be multidisciplinary in nature but with a special emphasis on broad clinical representation, and will be supplemented with other expertise from the workgroups as needed
The group may also invite experts, as appropriate, to participate in the process of investigation, design, implementation, and evaluation.
The OWG may form sub-workgroups as needed which may be asked to investigate, formulate, and provide specific recommendations to assist the OWG in achieving its overall objectives.
Decisions will be made by group consensus.
Meetings will be held on an as-required basis as determined by the chairperson but, at a minimum, on a quarterly basis. Special, ad hoc meetings may also be called by the OWG chairperson or at the request of the majority of the OWG members.
Administrative support will be the responsibility of the OWG.
The OWG can be disbanded upon a majority vote of its members and the concurrence of the VTN.
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