Mississippi nurses gathered in Biloxi, MS on October 23 and 24 for the Mississippi Nurses Association. This year’s theme was Trek Into the Future of Healthcare. Nothing could fit in better with that theme than Telehealth.
Representatives from the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) Center for Telehealth gave the lunch keynote address. Speakers included Tearsanee Carlisle, DNP, FNP; Jaime Wheeler, MSN, RN; and Cynthia Broome, BSN, RN.
Most Mississippians travel 40 minutes for specialty care. The goals of the UMMC Center for Telehealth are to increase patient access points, utilize Mississippi resources, build capacity, and build relationships. The group reinforced thatTelemedicine doesn’t take patients away from local providers. Instead, Telehealth’s goal is to fill the gaps.
They discussed several of the Center’s programs: school Telehealth, corporate Telehealth pilot, eICU, and their diabetes pilot. They challenged conference attendees to make Mississippi a model state and rank as the healthiest of the 50 states! They also encouraged them to continue the nursing process over the Internet to keep a personal connection with patients.
There is tremendous support for Telehealth in Mississippi, and we will continue to encourage their progress!
