A Three Phase Effort, we plan to increase the number of medically underserved RMCHP patients by incorporating telehealth into the program. Using telehealth will eliminate the obstacle of geographic distances, uniting specialists and patients and give providers immediate access to complete and accurate patient information.

Phase One: with a total cost of $2.13 million supported in full by the Texas Telecommunications Infrastructure Board and Houston Endowment, we will employ televideo conferencing to expand specialty care available in our RMCHP clinics. Through these televideo connections between our clinics and UTMB Galveston, we will conduct maternal-fetal medicine consultations, offer genetics counseling, provide consultation for breast and cervical cancer screening and counsel patients with gestational diabetes.   TM

Phase Two: with a cost of $951,210, we will develop a secure electronic medical records system, designed to supplant paper patient records and capture a wide range of information in a central computer-based repository. This system will enable us to communicate a wide range of information with specialists in Galveston who are interacting with patients through telehealth. Even more, this system represents a far more efficient, complete, cost-effective way to maintain information about more than 80,000 patients who are seen by the Regional Program every year.  Many patients cannot make the necessary trips to UTMB, due to unreliable transportation and/or inability to take time off from their jobs or family.    

Phase Three: with a total cost of $1.5 million, we will extend the impact of telehealth on RMCHP by applying teletechnology to ultrasound imaging, non-stress testing (to test fetal heart rate) and mammography reading.