fbpx
TeleCare
Careers
Pay My Bill
Learning Center
Stroke Survivors

Back to Previous

INSIDE ATA, a mid-week update for ATA members, provides an insider view of telemedicine news and featured ATA activities

By: | Tags: | December 3rd, 2014

CMS Answers Call for Telehealth by ACOs

Today, ATA gratefully acknowledges that after three years, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) finally answered ATAs petitions and may soon allow Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) to use telehealth to keep their patients healthy.

On Monday, in a 429-page proposed rulemaking, CMS indicated an openness to cover telehealth services under the payment innovation of Medicares ACOs.

For several years, ATA has urged the Secretary of Health and Human Services to waive certain restrictions on ACOs use of telemedicine, thereby expanding telehealth coverage to the 80 percent of Medicare beneficiaries who reside in metropolitan areas, and also to all beneficiaries who receive treatment in their homes (or in locations other than one of the previously designated types of health facilities).

Many members of Congress have supported such action with three pending bipartisan legislative plans:

• Standard Growth Rate Repeal and Medicare Provider Payment Modernization Act (S. 2000 and H.R. 4015)

• Telehealth Enhancement Act (S. 2662 and H.R. 3306)

• Accountable Care Organization Improvement Act (H.R. 5558)

Read the full release (with links to the full proposal) here:http://www.americantelemed.org/news-landing/2014/12/02/cms-answers-american-telemedicine-association-s-call-for-telehealth-by-acos

Register for Part Two in the Telemedicine Reimbursement Webinar Series – Deadline Today!

The ATA Business and Finance Special Interest Group recently launched a four-part webinar series focused on critical information regarding reimbursement for telemedicine services. Part Two of the series, Physician Reimbursement Models in Telehealth, will feature presentations by Natasa Sokolovich, JD, MSHCPM, Executive Director of Telemedicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; Sarah Sossong, MPH, FACHE, Director of Telehealth, Massachusetts General Hospital; and ATA Business & Finance Vice Chair Taylan Bozkurt, Operations and Financial Specialist, Massachusetts General Hospital. The event will take place tomorrow from 2:30 – 4:30 p.m. EST (the deadline to pre-register is TODAY!), and will be recorded for purchase for those unable to attend. If you missed part one, Telehealth Reimbursement: Current Issues, a recording is now available for purchase on the ATA Learning Center (availableHERE).

Register for tomorrows webinar and learn more herHERE

Giving Tuesday: Contribute to ATAs Educational Initiative to Advance Telemedicine

In the spirit of Giving Tuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back during a season of gift-giving, we hope you will consider contributing to ATAs Educational Initiative.

ATAs Educational Initiative will accomplish three specific objectives:

1 – Provide a series of educational resources about the deployment of telemedicine targeted to health systems, providers and governments to help expand their use of telemedicine;

2 – Develop, distribute and promote the use of practice guidelines that will improve the delivery of telemedicine services; and

3 – Through ATAs International Fund, facilitate online and in-person education for professionals from underdeveloped nations and promote the use of telemedicine to provide international aid.

As you know, ATAs mission is to promote professional, ethical and equitable improvement in health care delivery through telecommunications and information technology. For 21 years, ATA has been working with leaders in government, health systems and industry to lay the groundwork that is now beginning to bloom for telemedicine and all its many forms from mHealth to connected care.

We are currently seeking donations to help achieve our mission to improve quality, access, equity and affordability of healthcare throughout the world. Donors will be acknowledged on the ATA website, and those who donate $500 or more will also receive special recognition at the Annual Meeting May 3-5, 2015 in Los Angeles.

With over 8,000 members worldwide, together we now have the opportunity to make the promise of telemedicine a reality. I hope you consider making a donation to ATA this year!

Learn more and donate at:http://www.americantelemed.org/about-ata/donate-to-ata#.VE6k1_nF81IATA is a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and contributions to ATA are tax deductible.

Source: American Telemedicine Association

Nattasha Acevedo, MD

Dr. Acevedo received her medical degree from the Ponce School of Medicine in Puerto Rico and did her neurology residency at Montefiore Medical Center in New York. She went on to do a clinical neurophysiology fellowship at Emory School of Medicine in Atla nta, Georgia and then joined private practice in Fort Myers, Florida. She currently resides in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She likes running, paddle boarding and spending time with family.
dr-nattasha-acevedo-teleneurology
close-link

Bernadette Borte, MD

Dr. Borte received her medical degree from St. Matthew’s University School of Medicine in Grand Cayman. She completed her neurology residency at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, Iowa. Her areas of interest include inpatient neurology and acute stroke. When not working, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her family. Dr. Borte joined the TeleSpecialist family in March of 2019.
dr-bernadette-borte-teleneurology
close-link

Mazen Almidani, MD

Dr. Almidani is board certified in pediatrics by the American Board of Pediatrics and board certified in epilepsy, as well as neurology with special  qualification in child neurology by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.  Dr. Almidani is happily married with 4 children. His oldest son has autism and his daughter has complicated seizures; both were a drive for him to become a neurologist. Dr. Almidani enjoys soccer, running and spending time with his family. He is very involved with his sons’ therapy and helping with daily challenges. He is double board certified in Pediatric and Adult Neurology and Epilepsy. He sees children and adults. He also participates in charities for children in Syria who may be underprivileged and/or affected by the war. Dr. Almidani joined TeleSpecialists in August 2020.
close-link

Amanda Cheshire, MD

Dr. Cheshire received her medical degree from the University of Louisville School of Medicine in Louisville, Kentucky. She completed her neurology residency at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. She did a fellowship in neurophysiology at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Dr. Cheshire is double board certified in neurology and clinical neurophysiology. She enjoys traveling, reading and music. She currently resides in Viera, Florida.  Dr. Cheshire joined TeleSpecialists in June 2019.
dr-amanda-cheshire-teleneurology
close-link

Jessica Floyd, MD

Dr. Floyd completed her neurology residency at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida followed by fellowship training in clinical neurophysiology with focus in EEG and epilepsy at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina. She has particular interest in hospital neurology and patient education as well as the blossoming specialty of lifestyle medicine. She strives to take advantage of every encounter with patients and medical staff to empower them to do their own research into how daily thoughts, choices, and habits can add up to create greater and longer-lasting brain and neurologic health for ourselves and our loved ones. She lives in Florence, South Carolina with her awesome husband of 13 plus years and three beautiful children. She is an avid yogi, astrologer, and lover of food and all things neurology! Dr. Floyd joined the TeleSpecialist family in July 2017.
dr-jessica-floyd-teleneurology
close-link

Nancy Futrell, MD

Dr. Futrell received her medical degree from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. She also did her neurology residency at the University of Utah as well as a research fellowship in cerebral vascular disease at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida. She currently resides in Salt Lake City, Utah. She has authored 2 books and 50 peer reviewed papers. 
dr-nancy-futrell-teleneurology
close-link

Rebecca Jimenez-Sanders, MD

Dr. Jimenez Sanders received her undergraduate degree from Emory University, and her medical degree from the San Juan Bautista School of Medicine in Puerto Rico. She completed her neurology residency at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida, where she also did a specialized headache medicine and facial pain fellowship. She currently resides in Tampa, Florida with her husband and her two daughters. She is also fluent in Spanish and Italian languages, and enjoys photography, baking, boating, and biking.
dr-rebecca-jiminez-sanders-teleneurology
close-link

Cory Lamar, MD

Dr. Lamar received his medical degree from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. He completed his internship and residency at Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Following residency, he completed a clinical fellowship in neurophysiology, with a concentration in epilepsy. He currently resides in Florida and enjoys outdoor activities.
close-link

Clifford Meyers, MD

Dr. Meyers received his medical degree from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island and his MBA from the Simon School of Business at the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York. He completed his neurology residency at the University of Rochester, where he also did a neurophysiology fellowship. Dr. Meyers resides in Webster, New York with his wife and daughter. When not doing teleneurology, he enjoys playing sports with his wife and daughter.
dr-clifford-meyers-teleneurology
close-link

Tao Tong, MD

Dr. Tong received her medical degree from the University of Miami School of Medicine in Miami, Florida. She completed her neurology residency at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida, where she also did a neuromuscular/EMG fellowship.  She currently resides in College Station, Texas. Dr. Tong is married with two boys. She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling and reading.
dr-tao-tong-teleneurology
close-link

Shubhangi Chumble, MD

Dr. Chumble attended BJ Medical School. She is a board certified neurologist with a subspeciality interest in sleep medicine. Dr. Chumble did her residency at Howard University in Washington DC and has practiced neurology since 2001 in private and corporate settings. She lives in Melbourne, Florida and loves the sunshine state. Her hobbies include yoga, meditation, cooking , traveling and meeting new people. She also loves to do stained glass, pottery and painting. She joined TeleSpecialists in June 2019.
close-link