The URAC Report

When Hurricane Harvey slammed into Houston in August, pounding the city with powerful wind gusts and several inches of rain, Community Health Choice (CHC) was ready. “I’ve lived through three hurricanes,” says native Houstonian Delwin Beene, director of accreditation at CHC. “This wasn’t our first time at the rodeo.”

It is an old but true adage that government moves slowly. While change may be swift, your local, state, or federal regulator is not.

Washington, DC -- The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) has announced that it will accept telehealth accreditation as evidence of regulatory compliance for part of the state’s telepsychiatry requirements.

Achieving URAC’s Clinical Integration Accreditation has resulted in many unexpected efficiencies and improvements for St. Vincent’s Health Partners (SVHP). But not just clinically.

Each year, NAIRO and its members stage an annual Symposium discussing the latest developments and trends in independent medical review. The Symposium delivers in-depth educational content, along with networking opportunities to meet and exchange ideas. The theme for the three-day event is "Trust in Healthcare," highlighting security, regulatory, and legal topics as IROs work in a changing healthcare environment.

Telehealth is a promising new avenue for providing greater access to care for countless patients. However, not all healthcare organizations are ready to press forward on a fully developed program. 

Robust measurement and accreditation programs are key components of a successful telehealth program, leading experts say.

“There shouldn’t be any difference between a quality telehealth visit” and a traditional in-office doctor visit, says Marybeth Farquhar, vice president, quality, research and measurement, URAC.

When New York-based Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth) decided in 2015 to launch a telehealth program across its 6,200-square-mile service area, the 10-hospital network opted to build it from scratch, investing more than $7 million in technology and infrastructure.