TELEHEALTH

Anna M. Baznik

CEO IMPOWER

ABOUT US

Leading non-profit mental health and child well-being organization

Founded in 1994 rooted in Central Florida

Primary services include mental health therapy, psychiatric treatment, case management, adoptions, and independent living

Services delivered in Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Brevard, Volusia and Polk Counties

Serve more than 9,000 individuals and families in the home, school and community-based settings

Mental Health Needs Unmet• 1 in 4 adults (approx. 61.5 million Americans)

experiences mental illness in a given year

• 1 in 5 youth ages 13 to 18 have severe mental health disorders in a given year

• 50% of all chronic mental illness begins by age 14

• Approx. 60 % of adults & 50% of youth with mental illness received no mental health services in the previous year

Shortages in Mental Health Practitioners

• 89.3 million Americans live in federally-designated Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas

• Data show a need for 25.9 Psychiatrists per 100,000 people to meet current mental health crisis. National average is 10 per 100,000 people. Florida has only 7 per 100,000 people.

• Average age of U.S. Psychiatrist is over 55

Why Telehealth? Why Now?

Lack of Access to Treatment

Affordable Care Act

4 Million New in Florida to be Insured

Rural / Geographic Challenges

Insufficient Transportation

Behavioral Health Well-Suited

Telephone

Computer

Smart Phone/Tablet

Kiosk

TELEHEALTH IS A SOLUTION

Our Pilot

Developed P&Ps & Best Practices

Informed Consent & Training Acknowledgement

HIPAA Compliant Platform

Trained Psychiatrists to use telehealth

Went “live” in March 2013

Over 650 Individual Sessions for Med. Mgt.

In accordance w/ American Telemedicine Assoc.

IMPOWER’s FIRST TELEHEALTH RECIPIENTMarch 29, 2013

“Allie” Age 9 with Dr. Cynthia Higgins

BENEFITS

Patients

• More Convenient• Brings Care to Patient• Increases Practitioner Selection• Reduces Travel Time and Costs• Improves Satisfaction in Health Care• More Confidential • Reduces Stigma

Providers• Voluntary• More Relaxed/Open Patient• Reduces Delays & No Shows• Increases Productivity• Promotes Collaborative Care• More Convenient• Cuts down overhead and costs

• Spring of 2014, Rule 64B8-9.0141(4) F.A.C., prohibits physicians to prescribe controlled substances via telehealth

• Problem: Many therapeutic drugs for ADHD in children are stimulants in controlled drug classes

• Forced to cease all telehealth services

• Sought legal counsel, petitioned for variance, acquired waiver to resume provision of med. mgt. services via telehealth in Oct. 2014.

• IMPOWER is the ONLY entity in FL whose practitioners can legally prescribe non-narcotic controlled substances via telehealth

What’s Next? Telehealth Service Expansion: Practitioner Recruitment

Commercial Insurances

2015 FL Legislative Work

Partnerships with physician practices, hospitals, universities, group care facilities

Develop 24/7 access to servicess

Internet business - Affordable self-pay services

Consulting services to assist other healthcare organizations to develop telehealth programs

Questions??????

Stay Connected

www.impowerfl.org

References The National Alliance on Mental Illness - Mental Illness Facts

and Numbers, March 2013. The National Alliance on Mental Illness 1 (800) 950-NAMI www.nami.org 3803 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22203

Alison S. Cole, B.A., Psychiatric Service Provision n Broome County: Concerns & Suggestions, Broome county Mental Health Dept. SUNY at Binghamptom, Feb. 2007

Kliff, Sarah, Seven Facts About America’s Mental Health Care System, The Washington Post, Dec. 12, 2012