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Kentucky
Helps Set Direction for Disaster Response via Video Conferencing
May
3, 2004
On May 26th, Governor Fletcher will
participate from the Capitol as a simulated bioterrorism disaster
unfolds. It's taking place to show the power of using videoconferencing
technology to help coordinate medical professionals in the event
of a healthcare disaster, and could become the national model
for state, regional and national healthcare disaster response
initiatives. Interactive videoconference systems can help medical
specialists and public health officials reach anywhere in the
country to provide supportive  services
to community healthcare professionals.
The demonstration, hosted by Kentucky,
Missouri, Virginia and Florida will feature a mock smallpox outbreak
after a high school debate championship near St. Louis. Using
a regional teleconferencing network, the best and the brightest
from the medical community will quickly come together to deliver
a managed response to the incident, including the Center for Disease
Control (CDC) in Atlanta. Kentucky's Public Health Commissioner,
Dr. Rich Leach, will be participating, along with other public
health officials and med ical
specialists from the University of Kentucky. Rob Sprang, Co-Project
Manager of the Kentucky TeleHealth Network stated , "It's
our hope that this demonstration will serve as a model for how
the medical community can use technology to help minimize the
effects of a disaster. Not only will we be filming this demonstration
to show at the upcoming Southern Governors Conference, but we
also hope to eventually pursue support from Washington to take
the program nationwide."
The regional demonstration is actually just the
next step in a program Mr. Sprang and Kentucky's Cabinet for Health
Services started in Kentucky. The program, called PROACT - Preparedness
and Response on Advanced Communication Technology - features select
video conferencing sites on Kentucky's Telehealth Network. The
program uses the telehealth network to respond to a disaster in
Kentucky, linking the sites together 24/7 to coordinate healthcare
professionals as they respond to any disaster and has also reached
out to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and other states to
improve regional response efforts. Stated goals for PROACT include:
- Delivering public health education as it relates
to preparedness and response
- Delivering a 6 hour response time to activate
the network in the event of a disaster
Two live disaster exercises, using PROACT have
already been completed, which helped lead the way for the upcoming
exercise later this month.
To find out more about the Kentucky Telehealth
Network go to:
http://telehealth.ky.gov
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