Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.91.960502104546.17791A-100000@inhale.resp-sci.arizona.edu> Date: Thu, 2 May 1996 11:22:30 -0700 From: Royce Robbins <mailto:royce@SCORAZ.RESP-SCI.ARIZONA.EDU> Subject: Telemedicine To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
Recently there was a thread on the issue of using "The Internet" in Africa to provide improved health care in rural areas via telemedicine. Eberhard, in his usual abrupt "you don't know squat about what it's REALLY like in Africa" style, pronounced that such projects don't work, can't work, and "aren't even being done in the US". I am appending verbatim, a memo from the Dean of the College of Medicine, The University of Arizona, (Tucson, AZ, USA) announcing the creation of a state-funded Telemedicine program, primarily to provide outreach services to rural physicians in and around the state of Arizona. Evidently somebody believes this is feasible and important! In addition, an article in the recent Engineering alumni newsletter described some of the work that is already underway (I'll post if I can find it).FYI, Arizona and the adjoining state of New Mexico are very rural, with a few densely populated cities but with vast areas of sparse population in scattered towns and villages. Together, Arizona and New Mexico are about the same size as Botswana.
--Royce Robbins ------------------------------------------------------------------ April 29, 1996
MEMORANDUM
TO: Arizona health Sciences Center Faculty, Students, and Staff
FROM: James E. Daten, M.D., M.P.H. Vice President for Health Sciences Dean, College of Medicine PO Box 245018 Tucson, AZ 85724-5018 (520) 626-7383 FAX (520) 626-4884
SUBJECT: Telemedicine
I wish to announce that the state's fiscal year 1997 budget includes a line item committing $3.4 million for the creation of a telemedicine network which will have its hub at The University of Arizona Health Sciences Center. We have also received $125,000 from the Arizona Department of Health Services for an additional telemedicine project. Nationally, telemedicine networks have been established in more than 35 states. Arizona becomes the 18th state to have passed legislation applying to telemedicine. The systems are being designed to provide quality care and specialty medical services at affordable costs, in a timely manner, and irrespective of the patient's geographic location.
I am appointing Dr. Ron Weinstein as Director of the Arizona Telemedicine Project. Dr. Weinstein is a pioneer in the field of telemedicine. He has lectured worldwide at telemedicine conferences and has published over a dozen papers on the subject in the past 10 years. He will be responsible for organizing the Network and will serve as the interim Medical Director for the Network. Rick McNeely, Director of Biomedical Communications, will serve as Associate Director of the Arizona Telemedicine Project and will oversee technical aspects of the Project. Alison Hughes, a member of the Department of Family and Community Medicine, will be Associate Director in charge of outreach programs.
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