- Expanding School-Based Telehealth: How Eastern Oklahoma’s innovative telehealth program improves student health outcomes.
- Bridging Healthcare Gaps in Rural Areas: The impact of telemedicine on reducing absenteeism and increasing healthcare access for students.
- Collaboration Between Schools & Healthcare Providers: How partnerships drive successful telehealth implementation in education settings.
- The Future of Telemedicine in Schools: Key takeaways from Eastern Oklahoma’s program and what it means for nationwide adoption.
Access to quality healthcare has long been a challenge for rural communities, where medical facilities are often few and far between. For students in these areas, the obstacles to getting timely care can be significant, leading to missed school days and untreated health issues. However, a groundbreaking telehealth program at Eastern Oklahoma Medical Center (EOMC), is changing the game for school-based healthcare in Oklahoma.
The initiative, which began as a small pilot in 2018 in collaboration with AMD Global Telemedicine, has since expanded to include 14 out of 17 schools in the county and even a local college campus. The program provides remote specialist services to students, faculty, and staff, focusing on minor health issues such as allergies, infections, and skin conditions. It has emerged as a vital resource for families in rural Oklahoma, many of whom face financial and transportation barriers that make accessing healthcare difficult.
“Our collaboration with AMD has been essential in making our school-based telehealth program effective. Their technology enables us to provide timely care to students across rural areas, overcoming barriers like distance and transportation. It’s been a key factor in expanding healthcare access for our community.”
Tiffany Griffis, CEO, Eastern Oklahoma Medical Center
From Concept to Reality: Building a Telehealth Program
The telehealth program at EOMC was born out of a vision to improve healthcare access in rural areas. Tiffany Griffis, CEO of Eastern Oklahoma Medical Center, played a key role in spearheading the project, drawing on her own research during her doctoral studies. At the time, telemedicine was not widely practiced in Oklahoma, and there were significant regulatory hurdles to overcome. However, with the help of local lawmakers and the Oklahoma Telehealth Alliance, Griffis and her team successfully advocated for changes in state law that allowed the program to take root.
Funding for the initiative came from a variety of sources, including local banks, electric cooperatives, insurance agencies, and community donations. These partnerships were essential to getting the program off the ground, as the cost of telemedicine equipment and services can be prohibitive for many rural schools. Today, the program is thriving, thanks to the continued support of these local stakeholders and the dedication of the EOMC team.
Expanding Reach: Growing the Program in Rural Oklahoma
What started as a program for just two schools has grown significantly due to overwhelming community support. By 2024, the telehealth program has expanded to 14 schools in the county, with discussions about further growth. In addition to serving students, the program now offers services to faculty and staff, ensuring that the entire school community has access to medical care when they need it.
One of the keys to the program’s success has been its focus on collaboration. EOMC works closely with schools, local healthcare providers, and community organizations to ensure that the telehealth services meet the needs of the population they serve. The IT teams at both EOMC and the schools play a critical role in maintaining the telemedicine infrastructure, ensuring that the technology runs smoothly and that any issues are addressed quickly.
Telemedicine in Schools: Improving Outcomes
The impact of the school-based telehealth program has been profound, particularly in terms of student attendance. In the first year of the program, schools saw a noticeable decrease in missed school days due to minor illnesses. Instead of having to leave school to visit a doctor, students can now receive care on-site, thanks to the telemedicine services provided by nurse practitioners. This has been especially important for students from low-income families, many of whom are on Medicaid or are being raised by grandparents.
The convenience of telehealth has also been a major benefit for parents, who no longer have to take time off work to bring their children to medical appointments. For families who face transportation challenges, the ability to access care without leaving the school building has been a game-changer. As Tiffany Griffis points out, telemedicine helps ensure continuity of care, which is critical for managing chronic conditions and preventing more serious health issues down the line.
The Role of Technology in Telehealth
The success of the EOMC telehealth program would not be possible without technology that is designed for the needs of school-based health centers. AMD Global Telemedicine has been a key partner in providing the telemedicine equipment and peripherals that make remote consultations possible. According to Griffis, one of the main goals of the program is to keep the technology as simple as possible, ensuring that it doesn’t place too much of a burden on school IT staff.
The program relies on the ability to have a simultaneous encounter with both video conferencing and medical-device streaming from a range of medical peripherals, such as digital stethoscopes and otoscopes. This allows remote healthcare providers to clinically assess patients as if they were in the same room. These integrated medical devices are essential for diagnosing and treating common health issues in a school setting, and they help bridge the “gap” between a health system and their rural patients.
Overcoming Challenges: Lessons Learned
Like any innovative program, the school-based telehealth initiative at EOMC has faced its share of challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic, in particular, had a major impact on the number of visits the program was able to conduct. After seeing a sharp increase in visits in early 2020, the program had to scale back due to the pandemic. However, as the situation has improved, EOMC is once again ramping up its telehealth services and expects to see a resurgence in the coming years.
One of the biggest lessons learned from the program has been the importance of community buy-in. From securing funding to navigating regulatory hurdles, the success of the telehealth initiative has hinged on the support of local organizations and stakeholders. This community-driven approach has allowed EOMC to expand its services while staying true to its mission of improving access to care for underserved populations.
Looking Ahead: The Future of School-Based Telehealth
As the telehealth program continues to grow, EOMC is exploring new ways to expand its services while maintaining its focus on serving rural communities. Griffis and her team are considering adding more schools to the program, as well as looking for opportunities to collaborate with other organizations in the region. One possibility is to partner with schools outside the county, though cost and logistical concerns will need to be addressed.
For now, the program remains focused on its core mission: providing accessible, high-quality healthcare to students, no matter where they live. With the support of AMD Global Telemedicine and the broader community, the future of school-based telehealth in Oklahoma looks bright. This initiative serves as a model for other rural communities looking to overcome barriers to healthcare access through the power of telemedicine.
