SWTRC History. Our Mission
The Southwest Telehealth Resource Center (SWTRC) was created through a federal grant (#G221T16262) to advance the effective use of telemedicine services throughout the Southwest. It is one of thirteen Telehealth Resource Centers in the United States, each serving a distinct geographic region. The SWTRC serves hospitals, clinics, public health offices, and private-practice healthcare providers in the broader Southwest region.
The SWTRC assists start-up telehealth programs in their development and serves as a resource for existing programs regarding changes in technology and other issues affecting telehealth in the Southwest region.
Telemedicine has been shown empirically to improve access to quality medical care for many patients living in rural and medically underserved areas. The SWTRC draws expertise from the internationally recognized Arizona Telemedicine Program, which has been providing telemedicine services throughout the state of Arizona since 1996.
Per conditions of our federal grant, Southwest Telehealth Resource Center is required to place a priority on providing technical assistance to HRSA grantees interested in establishing or expanding a telehealth program including, but not limited to OAT Telehealth Network, Community Health Centers and the Office of Rural Health Policy grantees. Three tiers of assistance are available:
- Tier 1: Call or email us any time to learn more about our program and discuss the telehealth landscape.
- Tier 2: We provide each client up to 10 hours of free technical assistance per year. Requests for assistance can be submitted using our contact form, calling 1-877-535-6166 or emailing Carrie Foote at carriefoote@telemedicine.arizona.edu.
- Tier 3: Our expert staff is available for consultative services for additional, in-depth assistance requiring more than 10 hours. For information on our services and fee structure, please contact Elizabeth Krupinski, ekrupin@emory.edu
