Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust Awards Avera eCare Grant to Establish National Telehealth Certificate Program
Avera eCARE, a Sioux Falls, S.D.-based telemedicine network, today announced it has received a $4.3 million grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to develop and launch a national telehealth certificate program. This first of its kind program aims to standardize and elevate the quality of care provided through telehealth platforms.
National Telehealth Certificate Program Overview
Physicians, advanced practice providers, medical residents and administrators will be able to earn a certificate in telehealth as a delivery model for healthcare as well as a specialty certificate for telebehavioral health. Earning this certificate will demonstrate that providers have completed training on how to provide professional and quality care via telehealth platforms.
Medical faculty from leading academic institutions will partner with Avera to develop the curriculum. Once launched, the national certificate program will be housed under an independent accrediting body overseen by a board of telehealth experts.
Next Steps
This new grant funding expands on a one-year planning grant from the Helmsley Charitable Trust that resulted in the launch of a Telebehavioral Certificate for Residents Program. Next steps include establishing a governing board for the creation of the telehealth certificate program, convening a national expert panel to validate the curriculum objectives, as well as the development of a 5,000-square-foot telehealth education center.
“Virtual health care is health care of the future. Educating health care professionals, including medical residents before they even begin practicing, will help us inform and educate this important audience about the possibilities of telemedicine and set them up for successful adoption of technology,” said Deanna Larson, Avera eCARE CEO. “Providing an educational foundation and validated certificate in telehealth helps the field advance and ensures the quality of care in this evolving space.”
With the plethora of technology available, there are many programs that are labeled as “telehealth.” Yet standards have not existed to ensure that all are high-quality programs. This national certificate program aims to change that...