Welcome

• Please mute the microphone on your unit until the Q&A session. (Yellow button top left of circle on your remote)

• Questions and Answers will follow the presentation.• All Questions and Answers will be posted on

www.arkansaselink.com.• If you have additional questions, please email them to

arkansaselink@uams.edu.• One of the three sessions (Nov. 5,6,7) will be recorded

and posted on www.arkansaselink.com

Second-hand noise can be distracting. Mute the mic on your side when not speaking by pressing the Mic Off button. This keeps coughing, rustling papers and other noise from interfering with the speaker. To un-mute, press the Mic Off button again.

mute your microphone

Your Arkansas e-Link Team

• Alan Faulkner – Program Manager• Brenda Pick – Program Manager• Stephen Sample – Program Manager• Michael Wallace – Program Manager• Malinda Sandlin – Program Specialist• Debbie Green – Project Director

What is it? Why is it important?

How will it be sustained?

Linking Health, Education, Research and Public Safety

Distribution of Grant Funds$15.1 million / 15% (Telemedicine Equipment for

Hospitals, Clinics, & Home Health)

$8 million / 8%(Network Equipment for

Community Colleges)

$26.6 million / 26%(Connectivity Lease Charges for

participating Sites)

$21.5 million / 21% (Network Infrastructure)

$30.8 million / 30%(Construction of Fiber Optic

Network Routes for Community Colleges)

Arkansas e-Link Project Completion

BEFORE

Sites Connected• 427 Telemedicine• 32 Public Higher

Education

Equipment Installed• 530 Interactive Video Units• 290 Public Access PCs• 641 Clinical Assessment Tools

Broadband• 716 Miles Leased

(IRUs)• 49 Miles Constructed• 417 Leased Broadband

Circuits

AFTER

Sustainability

Phase 2: Equipment/

Broadband Roll-out

Telemedicine Overview

2011

2012

2013

Phase 1: Equipment

Roll-out

2010

Completion

Sustainability

Full Broadband Funding through June 2016 FCC Healthcare Connect Consortium Migration of BTOP Sites to Consortium by July 2014 Migrate FCC Sites to Consortium by July 2014

(except broadband continues under Rural Health Pilot - April 2015)

Telehealth Services/applications Development Coordinate Interactive eLink Member Share Meetings Begin Membership Fees January 2014

Letter

Healthcare Connect Fund(HCF) Program

• Newest Component of the Rural Health Care Program• Funding begins January, 2014• Funding year July 1, 2014- June 30, 2015• Provides a 65% discount on eligible expenses related to

broadband connectivity to both rural healthcare providers (HCPs) and Consortium (include non-rural HCPs if the consortium has 51% HCPs)

• Replaces existing Telecommunications and Internet Access program (ends June 30, 2014)

• Replaces Rural Health Pilot Program (ATN ends April, 2015)

Benefits of Healthcare Connect Fund Program

• Using BTOP funds allowed an additional 12 months of funding for broadband through June 30, 2016 for BTOP and FCC sites.

• Assist in sustaining the Arkansas e-Link network • Increase Telehealth and Education Access• Eligible organizations within the Consortium

receive 65% discount for allowable expenses • Consortium Expenses Allowable for discount

Broadband servicesMembership fees Network equipmentUpfront payments

Arkansas e-Link Broadband Funding Migration from BTOP Grant to FCC Healthcare Connect Consortia

Consortium Member Eligibility

– Not-for-Profit hospitals – Post-secondary educational institutions offering

health care instruction, including teaching hospitals or medical schools

– Community health centers or health centers providing health care to migrants

– Local health department or agencies– Community mental health center– Rural Health Clinics

Consortium Eligibility Continued

– Dedicated emergency room of rural, for-profit hospitals– Non-rural HCPs are eligible for support only as a

member of a consortium made up of more than 50 percent rural HCP sites. Support for non-rural hospitals with more than 400 beds is capped at $30,000 annually for recurring charges and $70,000 over a five-year period for non-recurring charges.

– HCPs (rural or non- rural) that are not eligible for the discounts will benefit from consortium membership through negotiations of services, contracts, support, access to members, etc.

Consortium Requirements

• LOA’s (Letter of Agency) • 460 – Eligibility & Registration Form – FCC/HCF

(will submit for all current e-Link sites)• Contract for Arkansas e-Link membership

(consortium)• 35% funding commitment for eligible costs related

to the consortium (broadband, e-Link membership)

Letter of Agency

• LOA (Letter of Agency) – Letters of Agency provide a Consortium leader with the authority to

act on behalf of the HCPs in its network. – Anticipated date to be sent is December 20, 2013

Form 460 – Eligibility & Registration Form:Anticipated completion by April, 2014

Arkansas e-Link Contract

Contract between UAMS (Arkansas e-Link) and the member organization.

Anticipated date to be sent: December 20, 2013

e-Link Annual Membership FeesPer End-UnitJanuary 2014

• Clinical Membership………………………………………..$2500endpoint used for patient care/consultation

Effective July 2014, FCC HCF discount applied to eligible expenses for qualified providers

• Educational Membership………………………………….$1250endpoint used for administrative meetings/education

Effective July 2014, FCC HCF discount applied to eligible expenses for qualified providers

• Jabber Membership…………………………….............$1700Mobile software application for individual

Effective July 2014, FCC HCF discount applied to eligible expenses for qualified providers

Email coming with specifics for your organization soon

Consortium Membership Fee

• Maintenance Support for Video Network• Infrastructure Equipment/Software• Network Redundancy• Network Administration and Management• Fiber Backbone network co-location facility, rack

space, power and inter hub connectivity• e-Link Interactive video maintenance contract• Video Technical Support• Access to Self Scheduling application – Renovo

Single Funding Request by HCP

• HCP may be a consortium member and a single member of the HCF, as long as the eligible services are not duplicated for funding

• The single member or non e-Link consortium are responsible for all applicable HCF requirements for funding requests.

• HCP may belong to more multiple consortia, as long as the eligible services are not duplicated for funding.

For additional information:http://www.arkansaselink.com

http://www.usac.org/rhchttp://learntelehealth.org

http://www.americantelemed.orghttp://www.broadbandusa.gov

June 2012