Clearwater Valley Health / St. Mary’s Health
Chief Medical Officer, Family Medicine
Presentation Abstract
Telemedicine in Rural/Frontier Idaho as a Tool to Deliver Sustainable High-Value Healthcare
Provider to Provider Telemedicine in a rural/frontier setting delivers high value healthcare. More than a decade of telemedicine experience in a rural healthcare system in Idaho is reviewed. In addition to providing high value care, this experience shows that telemedicine can support sustainable rural healthcare through improved rural hospital financials while reducing factors contributing to burnout among rural providers. Although a variety of telemedicine services have been implemented in this system, common factors have been identified which support effective telemedicine. These include specialty physician engagement, ease of use of the service, an aligned financial model and a mutual understanding of resources and limitations of care at both the rural and tertiary locations.
About Dr. McGrath
Dr. Kelly McGrath is Chief Medical Officer at Clearwater Valley Health / St. Mary’s Health where he has served in that role for 12 years. He also has practiced full-spectrum rural family medicine in his community for 27+ years. Dr. McGrath also serves as the Medical Director for the Idaho Medicare Quality Improvement Organization, Comagine Health, where he works to improve the safety and quality of care throughout Idaho. He is passionate about transforming rural health care to deliver high value care while supporting the health and vitality of patients and the communities in which they live. He is a graduate of the University of Washington School of Medicine and the Ventura County Medical Center Family Medicine Residency program. He serves on several committees at the regional, state, and national level to improve the health and lives of rural Americans.
Dr. McGrath did not disclose any conflicts of interest for this workshop.