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The Nashville Entrepreneur Center is gearing up for Telehealth Academy III set for September 21. Now in its third year, the conference on the virtual care delivery landscape will be one of the highlights of an inaugural week of events organized in the healthcare provider hub of Nashville, referred to as Nashville Healthcare Sessions. Telehealth Academy III also coincides with Telehealth Awareness Week.
Telehealth Academy III is geared to healthcare industry professionals, investors, and entrepreneurs to highlight virtual care advancements happening in telehealth and virtual care. This is a pivotal year for telehealth, marking the end of a three-year public health emergency spurred by the Covid-19 pandemic which prompted CMS to provide expanded reimbursement provisions for virtual care. That spurred a rapid expansion and scaling of telehealth from providers. Now that the public health emergency is officially over, the conversation shifts to what will happen next in telehealth coverage. The conference will explore some of the headwinds posing challenges to virtual care delivery in the near future such as staffing, credentialing, payer policies and investment.
The conference will also highlight how providers use virtual care to address contemporary challenges such as behavioral health and mental health needs to reduce the total cost of care and improve healthcare access.
Telehealth Academy’s evolution has shadowed the height of the pandemic. Initially an all-virtual conference in 2021, it moved to a hybrid format last year before shifting to an entirely in-person event in 2023, as the public health emergency has waned and then expired.
Among the conference sponsors are: eVisit, HCA Healthcare, NTT Data, Best Buy Health, Ziegler, C2 Solutions, Press Ganey, and Epstein Becker Green. Sage Growth Partners and the Care Transformation Studio are partners to Project Healthcare in producing this event.
Project Healthcare, the accelerator at Nashville Entrepreneur Center, also has a role to play in Telehealth Academy III. Eric Thrailkill is the chairman of Project Healthcare, which is also a nonprofit that partners with several regional and national entities. He noted that although virtual care is capable of solving many healthcare challenges, its momentum won’t continue unless it can support workforce optimization, enable unencumbered access to care, and reduce the total cost of healthcare.
Telehealth Academy III’s opening keynote speaker is Dr. Paul Keckley, managing partner of The Keckley Group which advises health systems, health insurers, medical groups and healthcare investors. He’s also author of the Keckley Report, which provides weekly analysis of key industry trends.
Additional featured speakers taking part in the conference include:
- Ann Mond Johnson, American Telemedicine Association CEO
- Keith Fraidenburg, Chief Operating and Innovation Officer for the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME)
- Jessica Dudley, MD, Chief Clinical Officer of Press Ganey
- Matt Dietz, Director of Telehealth and Care at Home, Baptist Health System
- Lisa Esch, Chief Innovation Officer Healthcare Provider, NTT Data
- Sachin Agrawal, CEO, eVisit
- Chris McGhee, Founder-CEO of Current Health, VP of Best Buy Health
- Nicole Tremblett, Vice President, HCA Healthcare, Informational Technology Group
- Nick Archer, VP of Partnerships, Hippocratic AI
The Telehealth Academy conference will take place at the Bell Tower from 8 am to 4 pm on September 21. You can review the agenda here. To register, click here.
Here’s a preview of some of the panel discussions scheduled for the conference:
Is There a Path Forward for a Comprehensive Federal Health Telemedicine Law This Congress?
Healthcare legislation pending in the 118th Congress is expected to trigger an insightful discussion on telehealth and virtual care policies, regulations, and legislative forecasts in a post-pandemic landscape. Attendees will get firsthand insights from experienced legal and policy advisers closely monitoring the legislative and policy process. They will share their perspectives on shaping the future of virtual care, exploring the evolving regulatory landscape and discovering the potential implications for healthcare operators, innovators, and investors. Attendees will gain valuable knowledge on navigating policy changes and uncover strategies to harness the full potential of telehealth and virtual care in the evolving healthcare ecosystem.
Navigating Headwinds: Fostering Sustainable Innovation in Telehealth
In partnership with CHiME, the panel discussion will explore some of the strategies leading healthcare organizations adopt to create innovative telehealth and virtual care solutions. The pandemic accelerated telehealth adoption as a means of survival, but with the public health emergency over, healthcare organizations must fully integrate and optimize these innovative care delivery platforms to reduce financial burden, improve access to providers, address clinician burnout, and provide flexibility and convenience to patients and consumers. The session will examine how different types of healthcare organizations are driving sustainable telehealth innovation to stay at the forefront of digital health and care. Participants will gain valuable insights into the collaborative efforts shaping the future of telehealth and revolutionizing the way we deliver care to the communities we serve.
Revolutionizing Healthcare Delivery: Exploring Hospital-at-Home and Care-at-Home Capabilities
The panel will review hospital-at-home and care-at-home capabilities as part of a push to help seniors age in place rather than forcing families to deal with the expense of a nursing home, which disrupts the lives of seniors. Industry leaders will discuss the latest advancements, technologies, and success stories at the intersection of technology, workflow, and how hospital-at-home programs seek to redefine traditional care models. Attendees will learn about the significant cost benefits and improved outcomes associated with leading hospital-at-home initiatives. The discussion will also touch on the latest regulatory and market trends.
Reimagining Care: Unleashing the Power of Virtual Care to Empower Patients and Relieve Care Team Burden
Faced with renewed demand for health services alongside continued strains on the labor market, companies are increasingly turning to virtual care services and technology to extend their reach. This session will explore how different types of healthcare organizations are accelerating the adoption of virtual care to improve the connectivity between care teams and patients all the while driving operational efficiencies. Join us for a dynamic conversation highlighting the varied strategies that industry leaders are accelerating in order to make virtual care a widely celebrated form of care delivery.
Featured Photo: Nashville Entrepreneur Center