InSight Director Among Experts Testifying before New Jersey Senate Health, Human Services, and Senior Citizens Committee in support of Telemedicine
Marlton, NJ (PRWEB) November 09, 2015 -- The New Jersey state Senate ‘Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee’ will hear testimony on the current and potential applications of telemedicine services on Monday, November 9, 2015. The hearing is an important opportunity for New Jersey leaders to evaluate how telemedicine may allow for increased quality and availability of healthcare services to citizens.
Many important players in telemedicine, healthcare and New Jersey lawmaking have been asked to provide testimony at the hearing.
The Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee has a history of developing and upholding policies that support health and wellbeing for New Jersey. Senator Joseph F. Vitale sits as Chairperson of the committee.
Senate Bill No. 2729 was introduced earlier this year by Senator Vitale and introduces significant regulations for the proper delivery of health care services through telemedicine.
Telemedicine improves access to medical services that would often not be consistently available in rural and underserved communities by circumventing traditional barriers to quality care. Telemedicine programs have been implemented across the nation to ease the pain-points currently stressing the healthcare system. Telemedicine effectively utilizes provider and consumer time by enabling care and assessment to happen via videoconferencing. New Jersey is already home to several successful telemedicine programs.
Individuals providing testimony at Monday’s hearing come from a diverse background of expertise including telemedicine best practices, telemedicine program development, healthcare policy and several factions of the healthcare industry.
Among those invited to speak are Karen Rheuban, MD, Medical Director of University of Virginia’s Department of Telehealth, Rita Landgraf, Secretary of the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, LaToya S. Thomas, Director of the State Policy Resource Center with the American Telemedicine Association and Kathy Hsu Wibberly, Ph.D, Director of the advisory board for the Mid Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center.
Each of these individuals has unique experience and expertise that will add value and insight to Monday’s hearing.
Tarun Kapoor, MD, Vice President and Sr. Medial Director and Fred Hipp Jr. of Virtua, Christopher Haines, MD from New Jersey Children’s Specialized Hospital, Wardell Sanders, Esq. President of the New Jersey Association of Health Plans, Mishael Azam, Esq. Chief Operating Officer of the Medical Society of New Jersey, Consuelo Cagande, MD, President of the New Jersey Psychiatric Association, Keira Boertzel-Smith, JD, Executive Director of the New Jersey Psychological Association, and Linda Schwimmer, JD President and CEO of the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute will also offer their testimony.
Geoffrey Boyce, Executive Director of InSight Telepsychiatry will also be offering testimony. Boyce is a long-time advocate for the appropriate use and value of telemedicine and has developed numerous unique telemedicine programs within areas of greatest need. Boyce is an active participant in telemedicine advocacy, education and reform initiatives and serves on the advisory board of directors for the Midwest-Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center (MATRC). InSight Telepsychiatry is the leading national telepsychiatry service provider with a mission to increase access to appropriate behavioral health care.
The meeting will be held at 1 p.m. in Committee Room 1 of the State House Annex in Trenton.
Daniayla Stein, InSight Telepsychiatry, http://www.inpathy.com, +1 (770) 713-4161, [email protected]
Share this article