Telemedicine at Work in Southwest Virginia

The Meadowview Health Clinic and Community Center in Meadowview, Virginia has received a $227,613 federal grant to join a telemedicine network with the University of Virginia.

U.S. Rep. Rick Boucher, who announced the grant, praised the benefits of telemedicine:

There was a time in the not-too-distant past when the people of this region who needed a level of specialty care that was beyond the ability of local physicians ... they would've had to take a very long and expensive trip.

Clinics across the state communicate with hospitals using high-speed Internet, getting help with diagnoses or specialties that the clinics don't have. The network will also include a digital mammography van.

The University of Virginia has a network of more than 50 healthcare providers in Virginia expanding significantly since its start in 1996 from government and private grants.

The telemedicine network will provide clinic patients "an explanation of difficult medical information in terms the average person can understand," said Howard Chapman, executive director of the Southwest Virginia Community Health Systems

The link should be established by the end of the year.

Telemedicine Links Meadowview Health Clinic With University Of Virginia Specialists (Tri-Cities)

UVA Office of Telemedicine