ATA launches Center of Digital Excellence with hard-hit healthcare systems
The American Telemedicine Association this week announced its new ATA Center of Digital Excellence, or CODE, in which the telehealth group will collaborate with several major U.S. healthcare systems on innovative ways to integrate digital pathways into the care continuum.
CODE participants will work to drive the development and implementation of new best practices for patient-centered care, equitable access, and clinical and operational outcome improvements, according to ATA.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
The goal of the new initiative is to advance advanced digital health tools and services to improve clinical workflows, engage more patients and improve healthcare accessibility, ATA said.
CODE consists of an alliance of leading healthcare systems, with founding members Intermountain Health, Mayo Clinic, MedStar Health, Ochsner Health, OSF HealthCare, Sanford Health, Stanford Health Care, UPMC and West Virginia University Medicine Children’s Hospital.
Virtual care companies Access TeleCare and AvaSure have also joined as founding members and sponsors and will help advance CODE’s product development and support its goal of advancing digital health technologies across healthcare settings.
Elissa Baker, RN, ATA’s senior VP of digital strategy and clinical innovation, will lead CODE’s launch and engagement efforts going forward. Baker will work with the center’s members to make it an “essential catalyst in reshaping the digital healthcare landscape,” according to ATA’s announcement.
CODE’s member organizations will compare insights and strategies, “contributing to published workflows, success stories and benchmarks that shape best practices and maturity models in digital healthcare delivery,” says ATA, “and helping others develop sustainable and effective models for the integration of digital care.”
As the center expands and gains momentum, it plans to add more healthcare systems, clinical leaders and IT companies to its collaborative network. CODE plans to host regular summits and events and will publish a range of member resources through ATA’s Member Connection starting this spring.
It will accept applications on a rolling basis, with founding members continually reviewing and selecting applicants as initiatives are identified. Visit the ATA’s Center of Digital Excellence to learn more and submit your organization for consideration website.
THE BIG TREND
The ATA has been very busy lately, especially with its efforts in recent months to help rally industry-wide support to expand telehealth flexibilities in a legislative package before they expire at the end of this year.
“It is incumbent on Congress to do the right thing and pass legislation that extends telehealth flexibility for as long as possible, including both existing Medicare telehealth flexibility and the critical HDHP-HSA provision that gives Americans access to telehealth services before they start their meet your own risk.” said Kyle Zebley, executive director of ATA Action, earlier this month. “By acting in the best interests of patients and healthcare providers, Congress can quickly address the mounting impacts that are already hampering healthcare delivery and ensure that all patients get the care they need, no matter where they live.”
ON THE RECORD
“Telehealth is not an either/or solution, but a critical addition to in-person care, addressing gaps where traditional access is limited or unavailable,” ATA CEO Ann Mond Johnson said in a statement this week. ATA’s Center of Digital Excellence. “With these renowned healthcare systems, we are setting the standard for how innovation and technology can improve, expand and equalize access to quality healthcare for all. Through CODE, we are bringing together top health systems to build models that seamlessly integrate digital health into a broader approach to healthcare delivery.”
Mike Miliard is editor-in-chief of Healthcare IT News
Email the writer: mike.miliard@himssmedia.com
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS publication.