Upper Peninsula Telehealth Network of Michigan

History of the UPTN

The geographical isolation, growing elderly population, transportation challenges, harsh winter climate and the innovativeness of regional health care leaders has provided the ideal setting for the deployment of telehealth services in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

What started in 1994 as a small effort to provide distance learning to physicians among five initial sites has led to a sophisticated 46-site network that provides over 8,000 annual connections. The 46 sites represent 10 Critical Access Hospitals, 4 community hospitals, a regional referral center, a tribal health center, a health care network, a health plan, a summer camp for handicap children, and several medical clinics.

The Upper Peninsula Telehealth Network (UPTN) provides core services in professional education, the medium for clinical consultations, the medium for administrative meetings, community education and video conferencing services for community groups/businesses. Teleradiology and telepathology in the region was initiated as part of the UPTN, and leadership now resides within the imaging and information technology sectors of MGHS.

Marquette General Health System (MGHS) is the hub for the UPTN and provides support functions among the independent sites. The support functions include administration of the multipoint control unit (bridge), communication and coordination among network members, advocacy for advancement on telehealth policy and telemedicine reimbursement, technical assistance, educational programming, grant administration and promotion of telehealth applications.

The UPTN has been fortunate to receive several federal and state grants to develop and expand the telehealth network to meet the growing needs of health care in our region. Without this financial assistance, the small health care facilities would not have been able to justify the start up costs that were required at the time of deployment. Grant programs that have contributed to the development of the UPTN include:

· USDA, Rural Utilities Services
· HRSA, Office of Rural Health Policy
· HRSA, Office for the Advancement of Telehealth (OAT)
· State of Michigan Rural Health Initiatives programs
· SBC Foundation
· Upper Great Lakes Educational Technologies, Inc. (UGLETI)

All initiatives started with grant funds have continued post grant periods, and are self-sustaining. Network sustainability has been achieved through site independence, infrastructure collaboration with the regional health information network, membership fees, and fee-for-service opportunities available to non-network organizations.