Mikulski, Cardin, Delaney Announce More Than $500,000 in Federal Funding to TeleHealth Program in Washington County

Press Release

U.S. Senators Barbara A. Mikulski and Ben Cardin, together with U.S. Representative John Delaney (all D-Md.) and Meritus Health, today announced that the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) has awarded a $501,932 federal grant to the Meritus Healthcare Foundation, Inc. to fund a telehealth program that will enable doctors to remotely monitor chronically ill patients. The program will allow patients to remain in the comfort of their homes or assisted living units so they do not need to be readmitted to the hospital.

"This federal funding will save money, save time, and save lives," said Senator Mikulski, Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. "This telehealth program is an example of the innovative ways we can make healthcare more affordable and more accessible in our communities. Now patients with chronic diseases, like asthma and diabetes, can receive treatment from their doctors without ever having to leave home. I will continue to fight for federal funding that promotes innovations that create more affordable access to healthcare."

"The Affordable Care Act and the Appalachian Regional Commission are both working to improve the quality of life for millions of Americans. Innovative ARC grants like this one will further lower health care costs while raising quality of care," said Senator Cardin, a member of the Senate Finance Health Care Subcommittee. "This federal investment will allow Western Marylanders with mobility or transportation issues to access the care they need. Once again, I am proud to work with ARC to find state-of-the-art ways to serve Marylanders in Appalachia.

"Modern technology has the power to improve patient care, increase efficiency, and reduce costs," said Congressman Delaney. "One of our primary goals should be getting patients connected to doctors; that's fundamental. This federal grant to increase telehealth programs is good news for Washington County, especially for chronically ill patients and those who live in remote areas."

Leaders of Meritus Health say they are grateful for the opportunity to expand access to healthcare to remote locations and to some of their most chronically ill patients. "This program will dramatically change the way we interact and care for our patients," says Michael Reyka, Executive Director of ambulatory services at Meritus Health. At the completion of the project, collaboration between community physicians, nurses, care managers and community partners will be strengthened by a telemedicine network that reaches more than 200 patients per year."

The Meritus Health will use the grant to offer a remote monitoring system in the homes of patients suffering from asthma, diabetes, COPD and chronic heart failure. Patients will receive an In-home Remote Telemonitoring System that will monitor the patients' health and provide standard assessment surveys, education, and reinforcement of positive behavior. A home health team at the hospital will use a Hospital Based Monitoring Site to monitor and communicate with each patient. The site will include a comprehensive display of each patient's health factors, such as blood sugar levels, blood pressure and daily respiratory symptoms, and will alert the health team when a patient's test results do not match a predetermined set of health standards. The site will also enable all authorized providers to enter comments about patient's health information to increase communication and cooperation among all of a patient's health providers. The system is equipped to maintain confidentially standards in accordance with HIPAA requirements.

The Meritus Health Foundation is a private, non-profit dedicated to raising support for community health improvement, education, future innovations and patient access to care on behalf of Meritus Health, the largest healthcare provider in Washington County. Meritus Health is located in Hagerstown, 30 miles north of Frederick. It is home to Meritus Medical Center, a state of the art, 272-bed acute care hospital and regional trauma center that opened in 2010, as well as primary care and specialty physician practices, pharmacies, urgent care centers, home medical equipment and medical laboratory, rehabilitation, and home care services. Many of these are located in a unique, multi-service medical mall called Robinwood Professional Center, which shares a campus with the new hospital. For more information, please visit http://www.meritushealth.com.

The ARC is a key partner in maximizing federal, state and local resources to promote economic development in Western Maryland and throughout the region. In addition to ARC funds, Meritus Healthcare provided $962,040 towards the total funding of the project.

Senators Mikulski and Cardin have been leading supporters of the ARC Commission in the U.S. Senate. In recognition of his support of regional economic development and the ARC, Senator Cardin received the 2012 Congressional Award from the Development District Association of Appalachia.

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