
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Innovation Center (CMS) has awarded the department of Neurosurgery at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center (UNMH) $15,120,767 for a new telehealth project, AP reports. The project will provide 30 hospitals throughout the state with around the clock remote access to emergency neurological and neurosurgical consultations conducted by medical experts based at the UNM Medical Center in Albuquerque.
Each hospital will be provided with the essential equipment and tools needed to aid in neurological diagnosis and treatment on site, avoiding needless transfers to Albuquerque. Dr. Howard Yonas, chairman of neurosurgery at UNM and principal investigator for the project will partner with a team of neurologists and neurosurgeons at the UNM Medical Center to provide state-of-the-art neurologically-based telemedicine services throughout the state.
Supporting the Access to Critical Cerebral Emergency Support Services (ACCESS) initiative and in partnership with Net Medical Xpress Solutions, the telehealth project will help to provide improved emergency care at lower costs to rural communities (AP/10/09/14).