Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Any EMSC state partnership program that is interested in enhancing their ability to treat children or youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) or children with behavioral health emergencies through telehealth. Additionally, alternate organizations that are partnered with an EMSC state partnership program are welcome to apply for this collaborative.

We are recruiting participants regardless of location, patient volume, inpatient capabilities, or pediatric expertise. Our telehealth advisory committee will tailor collaborative activities to meet the needs and ongoing activities of your state/ territory.

There will be a minimum of 5 states/ territories and a maximum of 14 states/ territories allowed to participate in this collaborative. The number of teams selected will be determined based off of the following:

• Projected budget each team requests
  • Each team can request between $25,000-$50,000
• Selected target population (CYSHCN or Behavioral Health Emergencies)
  • A minimum of 2 and maximum of 7 teams will be identified for each target population

Yes. Each team selected for this collaborative will receive $25,000-$50,000 based on the requested budget submitted in their application.

Funding can be used for personnel costs, travel, equipment and supplies (up to $1000 per device), consultants, conferences and meeting planning, and any indirect costs. Each team is expected to submit a budget justification/request in their application.

The requested budget is an estimated budget. We recognize that the implementation strategy is an iterative process and may require modifications during the course of the collaborative. Significant changes to the budget will be handled case by case, minor changes are expected.

Yes, the Executive Compensation questions in Section D of the Sub Information form should be completed. This collaborative is considered a federal project because accepted teams will receive a sub-award under the HRSA EIIC Grant # U07MC37471.

All funds will be dispersed through the University of Texas as a subaward. A subrecipient form is included in the application to expedite processing.

No, the EMSC SP manager can invite an alternate team member to lead all state/territory activities related to the collaborative effort, including an external consultant. However, the EMSC SP manager should remain abreast of ongoing activities and is encouraged to participate in collaborative activities.

Emergency care networks may be formal clinical organizations (e.g. physician groups, hospitals, etc.) or informal clinical networks. The goal of including an emergency care network representative is to evaluate how future telehealth services can be scalable, manageable, and sustainable.

There are no restrictions, the EMSC Program Manager could fill the role of the EMSC Program representative and the Program Director could serve as the health agency representative if they are employed by the department. The goal of identifying a representative within the department of health or other state office is to ensure there is easy access to and or knowledge of state regulations and licensing requirements for use of telehealth.

This role could be filled by either a representative from the state’s rural health agency or an actual provider. Due to the variance in states and territories, there is no set list. Whoever is chosen should have a broad understanding of the challenges facing your target population(s) in rural areas.

Yes, if an individual carries different areas of expertise they are welcome to fulfill secondary roles.

There are no formal partnerships required, however, there are required and optional members for each state partnership team. The number of partnerships is less critical than the quality of those partnerships or the level of engagement of those individuals.

No, the presence of a Pediatric Readiness Medical Recognition Program is not required to participate in the collaborative. In certain states this may serve as a leverage point for implementation of telehealth services. However, it is recognized that many states and territories are working towards developing a pediatric readiness recognition program however, as of yet, have not formally recognized facilities.

Yes, for teams who plan to focus on prehospital telehealth services, the presence of an EMS recognition program should be mentioned in the application.

RedCap is a secure data capture system developed by Vanderbilt University and is used to build online surveys and databases.

At the end of each biweekly learning session, selected teams will be asked to complete a form corresponding to the information covered in the learning session. Most forms consist of 5-10 questions related to completing activities in the learning session.

For more information on RedCap, please visit: https://projectredcap.org/about/

Yes, this has the potential to strengthen an application by demonstrating greater impact and uptake. However, the goal of the Telehealth Collaborative is to engage a diverse group of states and territories, that include representation from all HRSA regions that address the needs of both target populations. Each state or territory will be allotted a maximum of $50,000 and an application would be expected for each participating state or territory. Centralization of oversight within a single state or territory in order to minimize cost and widen impact, would be viewed positively. When completing the application, please provide details regarding intent to collaborate with other states or territories and how that will be accomplished.

If you would like to apply to this collaborative, please fill out the application here by October 31, 2020 at 11:59 PM CT. It is highly recommended that you utilize the Application Reference Document to aid in the application process. Notifications of selection will be sent out by November 30, 2020.

Yes, the Telehealth Advisory Council includes representation from NASEMSO. Additionally, several of the other advisory council members have broad expertise including prehospital emergency care.

Yes, both the Family Advisory Network and Family Voices have been invited to identify representatives to the Telehealth Advisory Council.

Each state/ territory will complete an environmental scan. This will inform us of what your state/ territory is currently doing in regard to telehealth and will help us tailor the activities of the collaborative to fit. States/ territories that already have efforts in place are still encouraged to apply as your experiences can help as the collaborative collates telehealth best practices.

The two target populations consist of Children or Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN) and children with behavioral health emergencies. CYSHCN consist of those who have or are at increased risk for a chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional condition and who also require health and related services of a type or amount beyond that required by children generally. Children with behavioral health emergencies consist of children or youth with mental health, substance abuse or other behavioral health issues requiring emergency care or other appropriate interventions.

All work within the collaborative will be individualized by team based on each state/ territory's available resources, the needs of the target populations, and other leverage points. It is expected that some teams will focus predominantly on the use of telehealth in the prehospital setting while others may choose to focus on the use of telehealth in the hospital setting.

This collaborative will have biweekly learning sessions, lasting 1 hour each, from January to June 2021. Outside of these learning sessions, it's expected that each team will engage in activities to assess current infrastructure and needs, work with stakeholders to develop a strategic plan, and implement targeted efforts for telehealth in their state/ territory.

No, all learning sessions will be conducted via teleconference or email. However, it is up to each team to determine whether travel is necessary within their state/ territory in order to complete collaborative activities. These activities may include assessing current infrastructure and needs, working with stakeholders to develop a strategic plan, and implementing targeted efforts for telehealth in your state/ territory.

The environmental scan will be developed by the Telehealth Advisory Council through a series of discussions evaluating drivers of telehealth services. Participating teams will be expected to use the template to assess available resources and challenges to help guide best strategies for implementation.

Applicants are encouraged to identify and take advantage of existing strategies within the state or territory that support telehealth use. However, the focus of the collaborative work is to ensure telehealth programs specifically target and address the needs and challenges facing CYSHCN and behavioral health emergencies in the setting of public health crises. Applicants are further encouraged to ensure implementation efforts include rural, tribal, and/or territorial areas.

Yes, it is up to each participating team to identify the best potential strategy that will address the needs and challenges facing CYSHCN and behavioral health emergencies across the emergency care continuum.

Yes, it certainly could as long as the services provided specifically address the needs and challenges facing CYSHCN and behavioral health emergencies. Telehealth is broadly defined as virtual technology that offers the same standard of care that would otherwise be provided for a given condition during an in-person visit yet offers this care remotely. Various types of tele-health exist (tele-consultation, tele-education, tele-psychiatry, tele-monitoring). Each have utility in addressing healthcare needs.

This collaborative isn't specifically focused on child abuse or neglect. However, it is up to each state/ territory to decide what is the best way to impact and follow up on their selected target population.

The primary goal is to increase the number of pediatric healthcare providers who are ready and able to provide emergency telehealth services for the target population(s). However, the Telehealth Advisory Council will be evaluating and identifying additional measures during focused discussions. Metrics developed by the SPROUT (Supporting Pediatric Research on Outcomes and Utilization of Telehealth) network may be used as a starting point but modified to consider emergency care needs.

The biweekly learning sessions will be 1-hour long conference calls that will include a topical discussion led by the Telehealth Advisory Council. In addition, the aim of the learning sessions is to promote an “all-teach, all-learn” culture where participants share best practices and collectively troubleshoot issues.

The first session of each month will provide an overview of guidance derived from the Advisory Council’s input on select focus areas. The second learning session of each month will provide an opportunity for participants to report out on state/territory-specific findings, assessments, and activities. Strategies to evaluate, engage, and implement any potential activities will be discussed.

The Community of Practice will follow the Telehealth Collaborative to provide ongoing support.

John Bohls, MHA at john.bohls@austin.utexas.edu