FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Joining 21 health systems, advocates, and philanthropy leaders across the nation, Palmetto Care Connections pledges commitment to telehealth principles and guidelines that meet the unique needs of aging Americans.
[Bamberg, South Carolina] – Palmetto Care Connections, a leader in advocating for technology-enabled health care pledged its commitment to advance age-inclusive telehealth principles and guidelines that will define the future virtual care for older adults and their family caregivers. By making this pledge, Palmetto Care Connections joins a robust list of healthcare leaders who express commitment to high-quality, equitable, and person-centered telehealth for older adults. This commitment aligns with Palmetto Care Connection’s work focused on leveraging technology to improve access to healthcare services and enhance the well-being of older adults and their families.
Grounded in practicality, the age-inclusive telehealth principles and guidelines were spearheaded and vetted by the West Health Institute and leading experts in geriatrics, telehealth, and consumer advocacy. To supercharge this movement, West Health launched a new Center of Excellence For Telehealth and Aging (CE4TA) with the Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center and University of Virginia Department of Geriatrics. The Center of Excellence provides free, practical tools, extensive, vetted resources, and a community of like-minded experts to help organizations enhance their telehealth offerings and showcase their achievements in improving telehealth care for older adults.
Older adults often face a confusing, unresponsive, and uncoordinated care system and these hurdles were amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic. In response, federal and state leaders expanded payment for telehealth services. In 2020 alone, Medicare-covered telehealth visits exploded by 63-fold. Leading health systems with telehealth platforms learned that older adults can and will use this type of care, however intentional human-centered design efforts are vital to ensure all customer segments – particularly older adults with complex care needs – can meaningfully use telehealth going forward.
Palmetto Care Connections is honored to be recognized for its commitment in shaping the future of age-inclusive telehealth to meet the needs, values, and preferences of older adult and family caregivers of today and tomorrow. This is one more way Palmetto Care Connections is achieving its mission connect older adults in rural and underserved communities of South Carolina to quality services through broadband, technology, and telehealth.
About Palmetto Care Connections
Established in 2010, Palmetto Care Connections (PCC) is a non-profit organization that brings technology, broadband, and telehealth solutions to health care providers in rural and underserved areas in South Carolina. PCC assists providers in keeping health care local and increasing quality services to underserved South Carolinians. For more information, visit https://www.palmettocareconnections.org/.
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