CHICAGO – The National Rural Health Association and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society plan to immediately work together to help rural providers take better advantage of a telemedicine grant program, and other collaborative efforts are under discussion.

The federal government, in response to the groups’ urgings, plans to more heavily promote its universal service program for rural healthcare providers. The Federal Communications Commission is making some changes in the program to make it easier to qualify, and FCC leadership is taking a more active, vocal role.

Telemedicine could help relieve some of the huge cost and staffing pressures that rural providers now face, said Alan Morgan, vice president of government affairs for the Kansas City, MO-based NRHA.

Unfortunately, the FCC’s telemedicine program has been a well-kept secret. In fiscal year 2001, the last year for which data is available, less than four percent of the potentially available support was awarded.

“Talk about a great program that’s simply being underutilized,” said Morgan, who’s based in Alexandria, VA. “We’ve met with the FCC to express our concern that this isn’t being used the way Congress intended.”

The FCC agreed, and late last year announced new rules to improve the universal service program for rural healthcare providers. The program enables rural providers to obtain access to modern telecommunications and information services through discounts to telecommunication service charges.

Members of the FCC board conducted a site visit at the University of Virginia this year to see first-hand its Office of Telemedicine in action. The visit impressed them with the potential of telemedicine, said Michael Balmoris, an agency spokesman.

The rule changes provide 25 percent discounts on the cost of Internet access; allow emergency departments of for-profit hospitals and part-time providers to get pro-rated support; and modify the calculations used to determine discounts.

Morgan sees the challenge as one of educating NHRA members about the program. That’s where he expects HIMSS to help out; the groups may jointly offer educational sessions or information resources.

“We need to make the program streamlined and easy to file for,” he said. “Rural providers don’t have the staff to jump through a number of hoops to apply for these.”