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Local dentist Jon Drawdy examines a patient's teeth using
Southeast Health District teledental equipment located in a
local school.
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Times have changed, and so has technology. With such advances in the
technological realm, the Southeast Health District has become a leader
in telemedicine. As it has grown, it has helped connect more people in
rural communities to vital Public Health services.
Telemedicine began in the Southeast Health District (SEHD) in 1993,
when the Ware County Health Department became a site in the Georgia
Statewide Academic and Medical System (GSAMS) videoconferencing
network. Services provided over GSAMS included HIV consultations,
Children's Medical Services clinics (Genetics, Asthma/Pulmonology,
and consults for other pediatric specialties), and Babies Can't Wait
multidisciplinary team evaluations.
In 2000, the Southeast Telehealth Network was formed, and funding
was received from HRSA's Office for the Advancement of Telehealth
(OAT). The grant allowed the district to develop its own
videoconferencing network in multiple sites throughout the district.
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Local dental hygienists Rebecca Brown and Marie Bowen
take a closer look at a patient's mouth at a teledental
clinic in a local school.
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In 2005, when Hurricane Katrina hit and fuel prices soared,
videoconferencing became the standard for communication, instead of
face-to-face meetings.
In recent years, WIC became involved in videoconferencing when its
staff began using the network for service provision in a pilot
project geared towards optimizing staff time shared between clinics
and travel expenses. The success of the pilot prompted the WIC
program to expand the network to other Public Health Districts
throughout the state.
In 2009, a pilot school-based teledentistry clinic was established
to provide services to children who may otherwise not receive dental
care. The district received once again funding through HRSA's OAT to
expand the teledentistry project into additional schools, where
services are currently offered.
Expansion continues with Telehealth capabilities in every clinic and
facility in the District.
Currently, videoconferencing in the Southeast Health District is
used for the following:
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Medical consultations for HIV patients
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Children's Medical Services pediatric specialty clinics (Asthma/Pulmonology,
Developmental, Genetics, and Neurosurgery) through Georgia Health
Sciences University Pediatrics and University of Florida/Shands
hospital
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Babies Can't Wait therapy consultations and team meetings
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School-based teledentistry clinics
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Emergency preparedness and response connectivity for counties to the
district operations center, local emergency management agencies and
other community partners
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Workforce development
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Administrative activities such as staff meetings, employment
interviews, board of health meetings and budget meetings
Commissioner Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D., Georgia Department of
Public Health (DPH) recently joined Southeast Public Health
Director Rosemarie Parks, M.D., and Southeast Health District
Telehealth Coordinator Jackie Woodard for a telehealth
demonstration. Dr. Fitzgerald told PHWEEK that
she was assured of the outstanding work in Southeast Health
District.
"The role of teledentisty and telemedicine is vital to reaching
all of Georgia,," said Commissioner Fitzgerald. "here, children
get excited seeing their teeth on the TV monitor. We can screen
them right there in their own schools and communities and then
refer them to local doctors."
-Story by Jackie Woodard, District Telehealth Coordinator;
and Roger Naylor, Director of Public Relations for the Southeast
Health District
