<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default"><font size="4"><img src="cid:ii_ibnx6c170_14e550d3b038953a" width="125" height="125" style="margin-right: 0px;"></font><font color="#ff0000"><font face="comic sans ms, sans-serif" size="6">Happy</font><font size="4"> </font><font size="6" face="comic sans ms, sans-serif">4th of July!</font></font><br clear="all"></div><div class="gmail_default"><br></div><div class="gmail_default"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Greetings,</font></div><div class="gmail_default"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div class="gmail_default"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">It's been a while since the last digest. So much has been happening in TAO's world and I'm excited to tell you about it!</font></div><div class="gmail_default"><ul><li><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">SB 144 which expanded reimbursement in Oregon for telemedicine passed both chambers of the Legislature without opposition - terrific accomplishment for all of you who worked so hard on it. We have requested and been promised a ceremonial signing by the Governor sometime in July so hope to have some photos for you before long. In the meantime you can celebrate, as it has been officially signed into law. TAO will be offering an educational webinar regarding the bill and the overall status of reimbursement in Oregon later this summer. If you have questions before then don't hesitate to call or email me (<a href="mailto:csbritain@gmail.com">csbritain@gmail.com</a> or 541-910-7366).</font></li><li><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">TAO has two new board members appointed by the Board to fill the vacancies created by the resignations of Bob Adams and Tim White: </font></li></ul></div><div><img src="cid:ii_ibnxrnbh1_14e551c679484772" width="70" height="70" style="margin-right: 0px;"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large;display:inline"></div><div class="gmail_default" style="display:inline">Chris Burns of LS Networks will fill the Champion member vacancy. Chris is an enthusiastic supporter of TAO and telehealth in general and brings a lot of telecom expertise to the Board.</div></div><div><br></div><div><img src="cid:ii_ibnxxom22_14e5520b2b625002" width="76" height="76" style="margin-right: 0px;"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large;display:inline"></div><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><div class="gmail_default" style="display:inline">Dan Casares </div><div class="gmail_default" style="display:inline"></div><span style="line-height:115%">is
the Program Manager for Telehealth Strategies in the PeaceHealth Oregon West
Network.<div class="gmail_default" style="display:inline"> </div><div class="gmail_default" style="display:inline">Dan has worked many years in Health IT and telemedicine.</div></span></font></div><div><span style="line-height:115%;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><br></span></div><div><span style="line-height:115%;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">To learn more about both of these new board members you can go to the TAO webpage at </span><a href="http://www.ortelehealth.org" style="line-height:115%;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">www.ortelehealth.org</a><span style="line-height:115%;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"> and check out their bios in the board member section.</span><br></div><div><ul><li><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><div class="gmail_default" style="line-height:14.9499998092651px;display:inline"></div><div class="gmail_default" style="line-height:14.9499998092651px;display:inline">Working with OHA under a SIM-funded grant,</div><div class="gmail_default" style="display:inline"><span style="line-height:14.9499998092651px">TAO has begun work on an exciting project to bring added resources and support to help increase telehealth capacity and the use of telehealth services in Oregon.</span> To accomplish this TAO will:</div></font></li><ul><li><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><div class="gmail_default" style="display:inline">compile a telemedicine law and policy review that includes both federal and state laws and policies and analyze their impact on telehealth in Oregon</div></font></li><li><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><div class="gmail_default" style="display:inline">d</div>evelop<div class="gmail_default" style="display:inline"> </div>and launch<div class="gmail_default" style="display:inline"> </div>a web-based portal inventory of Oregon<div class="gmail_default" style="display:inline"> </div>telehealth services accessible by <div class="gmail_default" style="display:inline"></div><div class="gmail_default" style="display:inline">anyone including </div><div class="gmail_default" style="display:inline"></div>CCOs ; and</font></li><li><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;display:inline">asses</div><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">s state-wide telehealth needs</span><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;color:rgb(31,73,125)">, </span><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">with stakeholder input.</span><div class="gmail_default" style="color:rgb(31,73,125);font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;display:inline"></div><span style="color:rgb(31,73,125);font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> </span></li></ul></ul></div><blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding:0px"><span style="line-height:14.9499998092651px;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><div class="gmail_default" style="display:inline"></div></span><span style="line-height:14.9499998092651px;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><div class="gmail_default" style="display:inline">Al</div></span><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="line-height:14.9499998092651px">l of the work should be completed and available on the TAO website later this fall.</span></font><br></blockquote><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><ul><li><span style="line-height:14.9499998092651px"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large;display:inline"></div><div class="gmail_default" style="display:inline">Last, but not least, TAO has decided to enter the world of social media. You had probably been wondering why an organization dealing with healthcare technology hadn't done so much earlier . We recently were offered the services of a young woman getting her Master's in strategic communication at WSU to develop a TAO presence on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. We are very excited to take advantage of her skills and resources that had not previously been available to us. We will let you know when we plan to launch each on each of these sites.</div></span></li></ul><span style="line-height:14.9499998092651px"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large;display:inline"></div><div class="gmail_default" style="display:inline">This has been a lot of TAO news for one digest, so I will be publishing another one next week to let you know about upcoming events and some links to interesting telehealth articles.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large;display:inline"></div></span></font><div><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="line-height:14.9499998092651px"><font size="4"><br></font></span></font></div><div><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="line-height:14.9499998092651px"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large;display:inline"></div><div class="gmail_default" style="display:inline">Until then try to stay cool and have a wonderful holiday weekend!</div></span></font><div><br><br></div>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div>Catherine S. Britain, Program Director</div>
<div>Telehealth Alliance of Oregon<br><a href="mailto:csbritain@gmail.com" target="_blank">csbritain@gmail.com</a><br>541-910-7366</div>
<div><a href="http://www.ortelehealth.org" target="_blank">www.ortelehealth.org</a></div>
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