While many people experienced telehealth for the first time during the pandemic, studies show that the trend is here to stay. The US 2022 Patient Consumer Survey revealed that of all patients who participated in telehealth since July 2021, 76 percent would prefer to receive care virtually in the future. It’s no wonder that providers are embracing virtual healthcare. The 2022 Optum Provider Telehealth Use and Experience Survey reports that 93 percent of providers indicate they are between somewhat or very likely to continue using telehealth, even after the pandemic.

With so many patients and providers embracing telehealth, the market is definitely rising. In the United States alone, Frost and Sullivan estimates the telehealth market will grow seven-fold by 2025, for a five-year compounded annual growth rate of 38.2 percent. With such widespread adoption, telehealth has the potential to transform the healthcare experience and improve access to quality care. Thanks to the audio and video technology that makes telehealth possible, patients can receive regular checkups, access mental health appointments and can virtually visit hospitalized loved ones. In addition, and perhaps most importantly, telehealth can help traditionally underserved communities access the care they deserve.

Three Global Trends Changing Healthcare Delivery

The telehealth market is being driven by many global trends that are likely to disrupt existing healthcare models, give birth to new lines of service and make virtual care a norm. Three of the major trends are:

1. Social equity in healthcare: A July 2020 report from the U.S. Ways and Means Committee reported, “The health disparities in rural and urban underserved communities across America are stark, costing billions of dollars in additional expenditures for related care, lost productivity and premature death.” With high-quality telehealth, providers can reach more underserved patients with face-to-face care, overcoming location, transportation and mobility limitations. These challenges are very common for underserved populations, and they are by no means the only challenges.
2. Performance-based healthcare: Performance-based or value-based care, which links payments to outcome, is on the rise. This trend is driven by initiatives such as the World Economic Forum’s Global Coalition for Value in Healthcare. Many of the services that make these models effective, including preventative care, post-operative follow-ups and routine care for chronic diagnoses, can be delivered effectively through telehealth services at a lower cost than in-office visits.
3. Competition from non-traditional sources: Perceived convenience has become a major factor as patients choose to seek healthcare outside a traditional provider’s office, and it’s happening more frequently. By offering high-quality telehealth services, practices can ensure healthcare is convenient for patients, providing quality care whenever and whenever it’s needed.

High-Quality Virtual Healthcare 

Although telehealth is gaining positive traction, one of the major hurdles in this space is reliable technology. Many practices rely on dated audio and video solutions, which can result in unclear communications with patients in critical areas, like understanding symptoms and receiving care instructions. In fact, 50 percent of respondents in the 2022 Optum Survey named “quality of telemedicine video/audio technology” a top frustration, and 40 percent said “better audio/video technology” would improve their appointments. The good news is that this frustration can be addressed by integrating reliable, professional-grade audio and video technology, so your practice can offer high-quality virtual healthcare.

To learn more about how high-quality virtual care can enhance your practice, read our white paper, “Three Global Trends That Make It Critical to Get Telehealth Right.”

If the last two years have taught IT professionals, the public sector and business leaders anything, it’s that organizations must be prepared with a voice and video infrastructure capable of providing continuity in the face of rapid, and often, disruptive change. The global pandemic has been a catalyst for digital acceleration across all industries, as companies have been forced to rapidly deploy new technologies to keep their teams connected and performing at their best, no matter where they are getting their work done.

Whether it is health-related, like the current Omicron surge, or a natural disaster, no one knows what the next major disruption will be or when it may show up, but the recent past has taught us all how important it is to have readiness and flexibility built into an organization’s communication infrastructure.

Here are a few examples of Poly customers from different verticals who were ahead of the curve in terms of having the right collaboration tools in place to set their organizations up for success as they navigated the challenges of quickly pivoting to support remote and hybrid teams:

EDUCATION

The pandemic turned the education landscape upside down seemingly overnight, challenging learning institutions of all types to implement distance learning and remote administration in record time. Deciding what gear to roll-out, which features to deploy and how to ensure network readiness were major challenges for administrators and IT departments to navigate.

Issues such as their phone systems not allowing for off-prem use, needing to provide reliable professional quality headsets and roll out VaaS platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams left many schools struggling and scrambling in the transition to remote education.

When Chapman University needed a flexible solution that facilitated reliable communication and collaboration between staff and students, they turned to Poly as their trusted partner. Chapman moved quickly in the early days of the pandemic to support its nearly 10,000 students and staff with Poly gear, preparing them with the necessary tools to tackle remote learning and administration. The use of video cameras with features like speaker tracking, headsets that block out distracting background noise and speakerphones with acoustic fence technology made a huge difference for teachers working from home or in remote classrooms. The transition to support remote learning helped the university create a safe environment, support diverse needs and better prepare for whatever the future may hold.

Pennsylvania Public Schools is another success story. The Poly technology the Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13 (IU 13) implemented years before to connect the 22 schools in their district made their pandemic-induced transition to distance learning far more seamless. Roy Hoover, IU 13’s Network and Telecommunications Coordinator, pointed out that the decision to move from traditional desk phones to softphones and Poly headsets in the years prior to the pandemic made for a relatively seamless transition when staff were forced to work from home. Roy’s experience demonstrates how equipping a workforce with flexible, agile technology makes it possible to transition between traditional and remote working environments with relative ease.

GOVERNMENT

State and Federal governments faced massive challenges when transitioning to supporting a virtual workforce due to the scale of operations, privacy/security concerns and need to integrate with outdated, complex legacy infrastructure.

Because the Virginia State Supreme Court had a Poly-powered voice and video network in place, the pandemic did not incite the chaos it might have otherwise. Bob Kelley, Sr. Video Applications Engineer for the Supreme Court of Virginia, recommends that if states haven’t already begun, they should start planning their video infrastructure immediately so that they can launch something that will work for them in the long run – the next five to seven years.

HEALTHCARE

The medical field has been ahead of the game relative to many other industries. Healthcare institutions have been taking strides toward improving telemedicine for years to make quality care more accessible. There was an increasing demand for telehealth options, even before the pandemic, and now that increase has accelerated significantly. Administrators and IT professionals in the medical field have been leading the charge and taking on this challenge bravely, and Poly has been happy to be an ally.

Avera eCARE has supported patients and clinicians with their team of medical experts for more than 25 years. As true pioneers in telehealth, they use Poly solutions across their network to provide remote emergency care to rural emergency rooms, behavioral health clinics, critical access needs, correctional health needs and senior care.

On an average month, Avera eCARE supports 1,400 emergency video consults calls and 1,000 specialist consults, receiving patients from their 380+ Poly Group Series 500 units deployed to emergency rooms, state correction facilities and long-term care facilities. In addition to video, nearly 90 percent of Avera’s clinical administration and clinical staff use a Poly headset at their desk every day.  In the early days of the lockdown, they were well-equipped to send staff home with the gear they needed to continue providing exceptional service to patients.

The Road to Readiness

At this point, we know change is inevitable. It’s something the workforce is going to navigate day-by-day, and we know the back and forth is exhausting for everyone. However, ensuring your business has readiness and flexibility built in ahead of time can make a huge difference. Those who suffered fewer obstacles and less stress were those who already had flexible, reliable voice and video technology in place.

Poly is here to assist with a variety of consulting services that help you plan ahead and future-proof your organization, including the Poly Grant Assistance Program, which is a free resource focused on aligning available funding with your organization’s communication needs.

The road to readiness is paved with professional-grade voice and video solutions capable of adapting quickly as collaboration dynamics evolve. Being prepared is the key to business continuity – and, when it comes to keeping your teams connected, Poly’s got you covered.

Many organizations want to invest in telecommunication technology, but lack adequate funding to do so, which makes grant acquisition essential. The USDA Rural Utilities Service – Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant (RUS-DLT) is a major contributor in this area. The grant exists to support and improve telemedicine and distance learning services in rural areas via telecommunications, computer networks and related advanced technologies used by students, teachers, medical professionals and rural residents.

Remoteness and low population density can greatly influence a community’s access to education and medical services. By linking teachers and medical services providers to students and patients in other areas, residents tap into the benefits of modern telecommunications for education and healthcare—two key areas for economic and community development.

The RUS-DLT is an annual grant that awards anywhere from $50,000 to $1 million dollars to eligible applicants. While the funding deadline will likely be set for spring of 2022, organizations need to start preparing now. There will be between 40 and 60 grants awarded, paid out over three years, requiring 15 percent cost matching. This funding presents a meaningful opportunity to improve a community’s access to educational and medical services, but the information gathering and application process is detail intensive and time consuming. Therefore, it is critical to prepare all applications before the official deadline is announced, especially considering the required turnaround is typically 60 days or less.

Using the Funds for Audio and Visual Equipment

In addition to instructional programming and technical assistance, the RUS-DLT grant funds can be used to purchase the audio and video equipment professionals need to deliver outstanding telemedicine and distance learning experiences. With professional-grade equipment supporting them, medical professionals and educators can focus all their efforts on delivering a best-in-class experience, no matter their location. Modern telecommunications offers so much potential to shatter the limitations of traditional community services. Ensuring organizations have the appropriate equipment to make most of this potential is a critical step forward.

Who can Apply?

Eligible applicants include most entities that provide education or health care through telecommunications, including most State and local governmental entities, federally recognized tribes, non-profits, for-profit businesses and a consortium of eligible entities. All grant applications are vetted and accepted through a competitive process.

Preparing for the RUS-DLT Grant and How Poly can Help                                                                                                                                       

If an eligible organization wants to take advantage of the RUS-DLT Grant, they need to start preparing their application now. They must quickly evaluate their needs, ensure their project aligns with the scope of the funding, gather information for their proposal and keep their eyes peeled for the deadline announcement. There are plenty of online resources to help organizations prepare for grant application, but it’s not always the hands-on and detail-oriented help you need to navigate the process. Poly’s Grant Assistance Program (PGAP) team offers a wide array of free services to guide you through the grant process—from grant identification and application to post-award administrative support:

Get Qualified Early

A critical part of preparing for the RUS-DLT Grant is making sure your organization qualifies to apply for the funds. Our consultation experts specialize in this and are happy to ensure that the RUS-DLT grant is the right fit for your organization. If it’s not, the expert will guide your organization toward other funding opportunities that are a better fit.

Post-Award Support

Although preparing for grant application is the most pressing issue right now, many organizations soon realize that they would benefit from some assistance during the reimbursement, audit and post-award paperwork process. Fortunately, PGAP consultants are well-prepared for this. They are happy to support your organization, ensuring you’re in compliance and that your project continues to move forward.

Connect with Poly’s Grant Assistance Team

For more information or support on how to construct that justification, or on grant funding in general, please feel free to contact the Poly Grant Assistance Program (PGAP) at grants@poly.com.

Want to learn how a PGAP partnership helped another organization expand their telemedicine and distance learning capacity? Click here.

Firefighters and first responders are pillars in our communities whose actions save lives. Ensuring that these emergency response workers have the funding and equipment they need to do their jobs safely and efficiently is critical, but not always easy to attain.

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) from FEMA helps firefighters and other first responders obtain critically needed equipment, training and other resources for protecting the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards. The AFG Program represents part of a comprehensive set of measures authorized by Congress to enhance operations, foster interoperability and strengthen community preparedness.

This year, there is $414 million in AFG funding available to eligible applicants, including fire departments, non-affiliated emergency medical services organizations and State Fire Training Academies who meet the extended Jan. 21 deadline. Nearly 2500 grants will be awarded with max grant award amounts at $1 – $4.6 million, depending on service area, to be paid out over 24 months. The funding requires up to 15 percent cost sharing based on the jurisdiction population.

Using the Funding for Voice and Video Infrastructure

In addition to facility/vehicle enhancements and supporting training, wellness and fitness programs for these emergency response organizations, AFG funds can also be utilized to purchase equipment for collaboration and communication. Having professional-grade voice and video solutions in place is critical to crack the code for delivering exceptional service at a time when budgets are tight and demands on city resources have never been greater. Effectively utilizing video conferencing can play a significant role in enhancing interdepartmental communications, improving training and reducing travel, which leads to less fuel consumption and vehicle wear and tear.

Which Organizations are Eligible?

To be eligible, applicants must be located in the U.S., or are a fire department in the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any federally recognized Indian tribe or tribal organization.

There are opportunities for regional applications where a fire department or a nonaffiliated EMS (NAEMS) organization can act as a host and apply for funding on behalf of itself and any number of other eligible organizations!

How Poly Can Help – Taking Action to Access the AFG

Should an eligible organization wish to access these funds, they need to take action. They must evaluate their needs, ensure their project aligns with the funding priorities and prepare their proposal. There are materials to help guide applicants through the grant process, but constructing detailed, comprehensive justification for funding can be challenge. Poly’s Grant Assistance Program (PGAP) team offers a wide array of free services to guide you through the grant process—from grant identification and application to post-award administrative support:

PRE-QUALIFICATION

Our expert consultants specialize in taking you through a pre-qualification process, helping ensure the “grant of interest” is a good fit for your organization. If we find you’re not likely to be competitive for a specific grant, such as the AFG, we’ll help you find another funding source that’s a better fit.

GRANT WRITING SUPPORT

The PGAP network of consultants and grant-writing experts across the country specialize in meeting your specific needs. Where allowed by the agency, services can include writing assistance, editing support, budget development and budget narrative recommendations to support your technology solutions.

POST-AWARD SUPPORT

Perhaps the most intimidating part of the grant process occurs after you’ve received an award. Many organizations find the process of reimbursement, audit and other required paperwork a bit daunting. The PGAP consultants are happy to provide support, ensuring you’re in compliance and helping move your project forward in a timely manner.

Get in Touch with Poly’s Grant Assistance Team

For more information or support on how to construct that justification, or on grant funding in general, please feel free to contact the Poly Grants Assistance Program (PGAP) at grants@poly.com.

If you stop to think about if for a moment, healthcare facilities (including doctor’s offices, hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, etc.) have always had a hard time keeping their portable telephones clean and operational.  These devices are used throughout a building (like in sub-basements and on rooftops), and must be durable enough to survive the pounding and frequent dropping they endure.  In addition – along with everything else used at such facilities – they must be disinfected frequently.  Then, when the pandemic hit and turned everything up a few notches, phones and other devices were being scrubbed so much that scratches were being etched into their surfaces, and numbers and letters on keyboards were disappearing.

Ryan Delgrosso, the CTO and co-founder of RingRX – A cloud telephony provider specifically for the healthcare market – knew that a better solution would be needed for such facilities going forward.  Ryan, who has been a long-term Poly partner for many years, immediately recognized Poly’s Rove DECT Wireless platforms as a perfect solution for these harsh environments.  Not only did the handsets let you use full desk phone capabilities in a portable device, but they are the first and only phone solution to exclusively feature built-in Microban antimicrobial product protection. (Microban is a global leader in antimicrobial technology, and when combined with Poly’s new wireless phone system, gives user’s the confidence needed to collaborate in high-touch work settings and in the most critical of conversations.)

Ryan explained that he has tried deploying other solutions (including app-based smartphones and older DECT solutions) but he has found them problematic for many reasons – including connectivity, reliability, usability, durability and price.  The Rove family allows Ryan’s firm to deploy easy to use reliable and affordable solutions specifically designed for these harsh environments

In Ryan’s words, using Poly solutions gives his customers “best in breed, absolutely second to none” audio quality and performance.  That’s one of the reasons RingRX has always partnered with Poly – to give his customers the very best communication solutions in the industry.  Now, with Microban on our Rove line (as well as our VVX Desk Phones) Poly will also have the safest to use products in the industry.  Listen to how Ryan tells it in his own words here.

For more information on Poly Rove devices, and for additional details on our exclusive partnership with Microban, please visit: Poly Rove and Poly Performance + Microban Protection.

To learn more how Poly and RingRX supports healthier and more reliable communication, please visit: RingRX.com/Poly

Poly and Zoom are on a mission to meet the voice demands of our joint customers worldwide. We’re excited to expand our lineup of Zoom Certified solutions with the addition of the Poly Rove series for Zoom Phone. This series is comprised of two DECT^TM handsets, Poly Rove 30 and Poly Rove 40, both of which are embedded with Microban Antimicrobial Technology and feature four programmable line keys, a large 2.4-inch color display, and 3.5mm connectivity for corded Poly headsets. For Zoom Phone users who require the freedom to roam, the Poly Rove 40 can be paired with a wireless Poly headset via Bluetooth®. Poly Rove handsets are built to work with the Poly Rove B2 and B4 base stations and the Poly Rove R8 repeater, giving organizations the ability to scale and support high-volume calls.

Check out a few scenarios where Poly Rove can deliver the best Zoom Phone experience:

HEALTH CLINIC

Small workplaces can deploy the Poly Rove B2 base station which supports connection of up to 20 Poly Rove handsets and up to 10 concurrent Zoom phone calls. The Poly Rove family with Microban Technology is a perfect fit.

DEPARTMENT STORE

Small to medium workplaces can enjoy the benefits of the Poly Rove B2 dual cell setup as it allows teams to make up to 20 Zoom Phone calls at one time.

GROCERY STORE

Cover medium workplaces with two Poly Rove B2 base stations which provide support of up to 20 Poly Rove handsets and up to 20 concurrent Zoom Phone calls. By adding a Poly Rove repeater, you can enjoy the increase in range without compromising the amount of concurrent Zoom Phone calls made.

WAREHOUSE

Need to go big? Poly Rove family has you covered. You can outfit large workplaces with up to 254 Poly Rove B4 base stations to support up to 1000 ruggedized Poly Rove handsets and up to 2000 concurrent Zoom Phone calls!

The Poly Rove family is yet another milestone in our ever-growing partnership with Zoom. Our suite of Zoom Certified solutions empower organizations of all sizes to imagine a reliable and seamless collaboration experience.

For more information about Poly solutions for Zoom, visit poly.com/zoom.

Editor’s Note: Cheryl Henshaw, National Director of Poly’s Grants Assistance Program co-authored this post.

The recently approved American Rescue Plan (ARP) provides an unprecedented amount of funding for healthcare with a primary focus on COVID response and recovery. The plan puts a strong emphasis on increasing healthcare capacity – including health professional and paraprofessional workforce development, graduate medical education, mental health and substance abuse treatment and prevention. Investment in collaboration technologies that enable telehealth and remote learning is encouraged in the various component programs under the ARP umbrella, serving as a critical element of providing equitable access to these educational and clinical services

Today, we will highlight one component healthcare program of the ARP – The Health Services and Resource Administration’s (HRSA) $6.1 Billion H8F funding for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs).

FQHCs play a significant healthcare delivery role for medically underserved and vulnerable populations. FQHCs serve as the medical home for tens of millions of Americans, providing primary medical and dental care, mental/behavioral health and substance abuse services, care coordination, disease management, maternal health, and early child development services. Many FQHCs provide health services in public schools, including school-based telehealth. These valuable, but traditionally underfunded health centers will soon have the opportunity to enhance their operations through the HRSA H8F funding program. The use of funds allows for everything from investments in collaboration infrastructure and technologies to upgrading facilities and deploying mobile units that allow for the continuity of operations and greater access to healthcare services.

The program’s initial focus is on COVID response and recovery-related activities such as testing, contact tracing, treatment, training health professionals, vaccine scheduling and administration, medical oversight post-vaccination, and follow-up. Collaboration technologies – including voice and video platforms – have a significant role to play here for contact tracing; COVID testing and vaccine administration coordination, training and oversight; and delivery of essential clinical services by telehealth. As a critical mass of citizens gets vaccinated, the focus will shift to capacity building, and the H8F funding will allow FQHCs to expand clinical service offerings and access to care using telehealth technologies.

HOW CAN HRSA H8F FUNDS BE UTILIZED

Some examples of use cases where collaboration technologies can build FQHCs’ healthcare capacity are listed on the program’s website, and have been summarized below:

• Maintaining & Increasing Capacity for Primary Care Services – Expanding and enhancing health center telehealth capacity to perform triage, deliver care, support care transitions, and support follow-up via telehealth. Support access to virtual care for patients with unstable/no housing or other barriers to accessing care. Supporting care coordination with other health care providers for patients that require hospitalization or other advanced care and treatment not available through the health center. Providing short-term health services to individuals recovering from an acute illness or injury. Enhancing or expanding access to behavioral health (mental health and substance use disorder) services.
• Recovery & Stabilization – Enhancing and expanding the health care workforce and services to meet pent up demand due to delays in patients seeking preventive and routine care; address the behavioral health, chronic conditions, and other needs of those who have been out of care; and support the well-being of personnel who have been on the front lines of the pandemic. Enhancing patient activation and engagement, including through virtual and in-person outreach and education, self-management programs and techniques, partnerships with families and caregivers, patient-centered care coordination, and other evidence-based interventions to support self-care. Increasing team-based and inter-professional service delivery through both in-person and virtual visits to provide continuity of care.
• Infrastructure: Minor Alteration/Renovation (A/R), Mobile Units, & Vehicles – Facilitating access to mobile testing and vaccinations, as well as other primary care activities. Reconfiguring space to maximize the ongoing use of telehealth technology (e.g., configuring spaces to better accommodate video screens and creating telehealth command centers).

TAKING ACTION TO ACCESS ARP FUNDS

HRSA H8F funds have already been allocated to FQHCs based on a formula that includes the number of patients served, among other factors. FQHCs must now submit paperwork to be able to access the funds which includes a budget detailing how the funds will be spent and a “use case” justification. As with much of the stimulus funding, there is no exhaustive list of “eligible vs ineligible” items; instead, FQHCs should align their intended use of funds to the funding priorities (which are broad in scope). Matching the challenges faced by the FQHC with the use of funding to address those challenges and then aligning technology expenditures to the funding priorities is the clearest path to ensure your proposed expenditures are approved.

For more information or support on how to construct that justification, or on grant funding in general, please feel free to contact the Poly Grants Assistance Program (PGAP) at grants@poly.com. The PGAP team will also bring in technical and telehealth experts from the Poly team to assist with case development and designing solutions that match your FQHC’s needs.

While some changes from Round 1 are anticipated, the program will likely retain certain core elements.

• First, the program covers certain capital expenditures, including equipment, software, licensing, and connectivity, and does not cover personnel, services, or other non-capital expenses.
• Second, the expenses must be tied to Covid-19 related services or challenges that are addressed by telehealth, with a priority given to areas that are hardest hit by the pandemic or that provide care to vulnerable populations.

LESSONS LEARNED FROM ROUND 1 OF FUNDING

There are several lessons learned from Round 1 applications that will be beneficial in preparing for the next round of funding. Applicants should fully describe their need – who they are serving, how they have been impacted by Covid-19, how many patients they expect to serve (or patient encounters they expect to conduct), and the positive benefits anticipated as a result of the project.

The scope of the project budget should align with the volume of patients you will serve, with equipment choices matching the intended population. For example, a project that requests funding for 10,000 licenses but only projects to serve 500 patients is unlikely to be approved or fully funded. Requests for hospital-grade solutions to be provided in home settings will likely be problematic.

An important bit of advice – make sure that each section of the application is addressed fully and completely and use attachments if necessary to help the reviewers fully understand your organization’s unique challenges and your proposed solution.

OTHER SOURCES OF FEDERAL FUNDING

The FCC Telehealth Fund is just the beginning – there are several other significant sources of Federal funding anticipated within the next several months. While the funding programs are focused on addressing the pandemic, the capital investments subsidized by these funds lay down the foundation of telehealth infrastructure that can be leveraged long after the pandemic. The following are a few of the strategic considerations that should be taken into account when planning both your funding applications and your organization’s telehealth strategy:

Which collaboration service(s) will you be using?

Many healthcare organizations scrambled to implement telehealth to respond to the pandemic. As a result, individual departments or organizational units often deployed different collaboration services, each with their own benefits and challenges. As your organization moves forward, are you considering standardizing on a single collaboration service (e.g. Zoom or Microsoft Teams), or do you intend to support multiple different services? If you’re going to standardize, then you should consider the purchase of videoconferencing endpoints that can run these collaboration providers in “native” mode. Poly’s endpoints are designed to work with all of the major collaboration platforms and can run in native mode if your organization standardizes on one platform. If your organization decides to support multiple services, then interoperability is key. Poly’s RealPresence Collaboration Server is designed to allow legacy standards-based endpoints and multiple cloud collaboration services to interoperate, serving as a backbone for seamless videoconferencing across your enterprise.

What computing “engine” will you be using in your healthcare facilities?

Healthcare can be a challenging environment for implementation. Using dedicated Poly endpoints like the Poly Studio X Family, Telehealth Station, or G7500 can address several unique challenges for collaboration in a clinical environment:

• End users don’t have admin rights on computers in most healthcare settings. So, it’s difficult and time-consuming to install/update software or USB hardware on computers that are at the bedside or in the examination room. Poly endpoints can be easily deployed, managed, and kept up to date.
• Host computers have variable auto-shutdown and auto-sleep settings. Poly endpoints can be configured to be always-on and/or standby (wake) mode.
• There is much variability in PC-hosted collaboration solutions in clinical environments – both in the performance of the computers themselves and attached peripherals. Poly endpoints are purpose-designed to provide the best superior audio and video performance for collaboration.

Do you have a plan for a consistent and professional videoconferencing experience for your staff, providers, and patients who are working from home?

Our Poly Studio P Series products improve the experience for physicians and staff who use their laptops or desktop computers to work from home or the medical office. The Studio P5 webcam is available in a packaged Studio P5 kit that also includes a headset or personal speakerphone all in one package that’s easy to set up by patients, providers, or staff.

These are just a few of the considerations that you should factor in planning your grant applications and in developing your long-term telehealth strategy. If you have any questions about the FCC Covid-19 Telehealth Fund or other emerging Federal funding opportunities, please contact the Poly Grants Assistance Program at Grants@poly.com. To learn more about Poly’s healthcare solutions, visit poly.com/ healthcare or contact your Poly representative or channel partner.

Our authors, Scott and Cheryl sat down with Jonathan Clark, and Neil Fluester to discuss these topics in-depth and more on last week’s Poly Weekly News program – check it out if you haven’t already done so:

I’ve only been a member of the Poly team since November, but it feels like it’s been years. I think that’s because I’ve been a Poly user and customer since the beginning of my career at the NASA Johnson Space Center where we used Plantronics headsets over 30 years ago. Later on in my career, I chose Polycom to power the telemedicine network at the East Carolina University Telemedicine Center and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. So, in a way, joining Poly was like a homecoming.

Throughout my entire career in the telehealth space, I’ve said to myself, “This is going to be the year that telehealth really takes off.” I could have never predicted that the black swan event of Covid-19 would have finally been the catalyst for the explosive growth of telehealth. I can’t say that I’m happy about the circumstances, however, in the year to come we will see healthcare organizations expand their use of telehealth in exciting new ways and Poly will be well-positioned to spearhead this expanded use of technology – starting now. Poly is thrilled to announce a pair of new telehealth-focused products, the Poly Telehealth Station and the Poly Telehealth Cart.

POLY’S NEW SOLUTIONS FOR TELEHEALTH

The Poly Telehealth Station is an all-in-one healthcare video communication system that is optimized for use in clinical environments – including:

• A medical-grade 24″ touchscreen monitor
• High-definition Eagle Eye IV pan, tilt, and 12x optical zoom camera
• Stereo line-in input with M-Mode wideband audio, for transmitting clinical audio, like sounds from electronic stethoscopes
• Ability to share content (via HDMI or USB), such as video examination scopes and other clinical imaging devices at up to UHD definition
• Built-in 360° microphone and speaker
• Flexible mounting options: either desktop stand or a variety of mounting options

The Poly Telehealth Cart pairs the Telehealth Station with a CAPSA Trio Cart to provide a solution that can readily move from the bedside to the exam room, to the conference room, to urgent care. The height-adjustable cart will allow for usage with patients standing, sitting or in a wheelchair.  The built-in rechargeable battery makes sure the cart can operate unplugged for up to eight hours. The cart has a 20% smaller footprint than comparable carts that make it more maneuverable and easier to stow when it is not in use.

MUCH TO GAIN

These new telehealth products expand Poly’s broad lineup of products and services that have applications across the healthcare enterprise. Digital collaboration, enhanced by Poly’s innovative audio and video improve the experience for patients, their family, clinical providers, and staff. Furthermore, there are several benefits pertaining to productivity and patient experience by incorporating collaboration in healthcare in ways that might seem to go beyond a ‘traditional’ telehealth application. For example, remote patient visitation has emerged as a significant need during the pandemic, as family members are not often allowed to visit their loved ones in hospitals, nursing homes, or other facilities in which they are isolated. Similarly, Covid patients can be remotely observed by clinical staff, reducing the time and expense of donning and doffing personal protective equipment each time they enter and exit a patient’s room. Poly’s solutions enable hybrid clinical office environments that mix both in-person staffing and personnel that are working from home.

POLY SOLUTIONS FOR TELEHEALTH

In addition to the new products described above – the Poly Telehealth Station and Poly Telehealth Cart, Poly has you covered for healthcare collaboration:

Poly Studio Family

Our intelligent all-in-one video bar systems such as the Poly Studio USB, Studio X30, and Studio X50 are perfect for small to medium-sized rooms like patient rooms, flexible rooms, break rooms, consultation rooms, private offices, and high-volume consultation services being provided from home.

Poly Sync Family

Our new sleek and portable Poly Sync Family of USB/Bluetooth® smart speakerphones enhance the mobile experience for providers, staff, and patients, by providing remarkable sound quality while reducing distracting background noise.

Poly EagleEye Mini

Our small but mighty high-definition EagleEye Mini camera paired with Poly headsets improves the visual experience for physicians and staff who use their laptop or desktop computers to practice from home or their medical office.

Poly G7500

Our flagship G7500 is an integrator’s dream for supporting larger rooms and complex environments, like operating rooms and training and simulation facilities. This modular system for video conferencing enables you to configure the system you want while providing rich collaboration experiences.

Poly Headsets & Desk Phones

Our professional-grade headsets and desk phones are optimized for comfortable all-day use and are perfect for knowledge workers in healthcare who are heavy phone users.

POLY IS HERE TO HELP

Additional funding for telehealth was included in the 2020 Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA), so stay on the lookout for additional information on funding from our Poly Grants Assistance Program (PGAP). Additionally, the telehealth reimbursement rules that were put in place to expand access to telehealth are likely to stay in effect for the foreseeable future, as reflected in the Medicare Rules for 2021.

2021 is going to be an exciting time for telehealth and an exciting time to be on team Poly. I can’t wait to see what we do together to improve healthcare in the year to come. For more information about Poly solutions for healthcare, visit https://www.poly.com/healthcare.

Image courtesy of Avera eCARE

Based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Avera eCARE has established a fine-tuned network of remote care providers to bring advanced medical resources to communities in 32 states around the country. For 25 years, Avera eCARE has supported patients and clinicians with their team of medical experts through their robust communication and video infrastructure.

PATIENT CARE 24/7/365

Avera eCARE conducts specialty consults out of their Sioux Falls Hub, primarily servicing rural health care facilities. In 2004, Avera evolved to begin providing 24/7 on-demand services. While this service initially began with intensive care unit (ICU) services, they were one of the earliest adopters of telemedicine to support rural clinicians and began to see how those hospitals were using the services in unique ways. The ICU and rural hospital use cases helped to inform Avera about new ways to think about telemedicine and have since evolved to provide remote emergency care to rural emergency rooms, behavioral health clinics, critical access needs, correctional health needs, senior care, and many others.

In rural communities, oftentimes there are only a handful of clinicians who are not only in charge of general hospital services, but also emergency services, senior care, and all other health needs for the community – at times overwhelming clinicians. In these overstretched medical environments, eCARE is extremely beneficial to on-site clinicians who are then able to bring in specialty healthcare providers through Poly video endpoints.

Poly recently had the opportunity to speak with Mandy Bell, Innovation Officer at Avera eCARE to learn about how their advanced remote medical network uses Poly.

WHY CHOOSE POLY?

ROBUST VIDEO THAT IS EASY TO USE FOR ALL

When choosing a provider to power their network, the primary emphasis was placed on sourcing solutions that deliver consistent audio and video to facilitate virtual consultations with ease in place of on-site services. This is because in emergency scenarios it is crucial that minimal training is required for any of the technology. It has to be easy to use and it needs to work every time. “Poly has been highly reliable; it’s there when we need it most. The Poly technology is seamless to use across our network and we know that it’s easy and intuitive to use right from the start,” said Bell.

Additionally, the technology needed to provide lifelike video to allow clinicians and patients to feel as if they are in the room together and facilitate proper evaluation of patients. In essence, the key to the success of telehealth is that the technology must be seamless for all to use and bring high-quality professional care to anyone, anywhere via a Poly device. When it comes to how these attributes come together to create an experience that is similar to being in-person, Bell explained, “We’ve relied on Poly technology to make sure that we can zoom in and evaluate patients, support emergency airway intubations, and communicate effectively with the bedside team. All of this is set up using any reliable, hi-def technologies so that the end-user doesn’t have to lift a finger when they are taking care of the patient in front of them.”

So, what happens when technology is easy to use and provides high-definition video and audio? You forget it’s there.

“One of the best things about working with Poly technologies is that the technology works so well, it actually fades into the background, we no longer had to have conversations about what technology to use, but more about how to deliver the care. It works so well we almost take it for granted that the tech will just work so we can do our jobs,” explained Bell.

Image courtesy of Avera eCARE

INVESTING IN QUALITY

In addition to ease of use, Bell noted that another important variable is durability. “We chose Poly (then Polycom) as our standard primary vendor in 2005 and we feel amazingly fortunate. The units we bought nearly 16 years ago are still in service – which is amazing if you think about it. That’s a really good run for any kind of technology that’s deployed and used that heavily. We’re big fans and we’re currently installing the next generation [of endpoints] across hospitals and in our corporate headquarters,” said Bell.

ABILITY TO MANAGE REMOTELY

With technology at the core of how Avera eCARE operates, the ability to remotely manage their vast deployment becomes crucial to ensuring endpoints are running on the latest updates and device issues flagged. Avera’s infrastructure relies on Poly RealPresence Resource Manager, a collaboration device management platform that provides advance provisioning and management of Avera’s entire deployment. 

HOW AVERA USES POLY

Avera’s eHelm is set up for all services offered, each service station with its own video unit and computer documenting systems so that doctors and nurses can huddle up and take calls together. Rather impressively, care providers can have up to ten calls simultaneously across the network of 200+ facilities.

Image courtesy of Avera eCARE

On an average month, Avera eCARE supports 1,400 emergency video consults calls and 1,000 specialist consults, receiving patients from their 380+ Poly Group Series 500 units deployed to emergency rooms, state correction facilities, and long-term care facilities and have over 900 Poly Group Series codecs deployed. In addition to video, nearly 90 percent of Avera’s clinical and clinical staff use Poly headset at their desk every day.

At the end-user sites in the ER, Avera has Poly video devices hung on the hospital room wall so that the patients can easily be seen by the practitioners, and boom mics are hung over the hospital beds to pick up conversations with patients. In one case, Avera worked closely with Poly engineers to design devices to assist in video laryngoscope needs – most often used for intubations which can be a scary, lifesaving procedure, that most practitioners do not do very often. Using Poly video, doctors and clinicians can see the airway very clearly and help guide the bedside clinician through the procedure.

POLY TECHNOLOGY IN THE NICU

In the NICU (newborn intensive care unit), Avera uses the Poly Group Series 500 connected to a GoPro camera mounted to a flexible arm on the NICU warmer. After the baby is born, the GoPro is mounted above the infant to be monitored by a remote physician. The doctor communicates with on-site physicians and nurses to advise proper care. The dual-camera system allows the remote NICU team to collaborate and communicate effectively with bedside caregivers during the intense period of care just after delivery.

RADIATION AND ONCOLOGY

Avera’s eRadiation and Oncology programs are brought to rural locations using the Poly Group Series 700, allowing physicians to provide quality accessible care. Poly engineers came into the hospital to test mount cameras in oncology lead-lined vaults to ensure cameras, control rooms, and supporting technology could provide this level of remote expertise. The multi-camera setup allows the remote specialist to get multiple views of the patient and linear accelerator as well as the staff and systems in the control room.

TELEMEDICINE AS THE NORM AMID A CRISES 

During the first month of the COVID-19 pandemic, Avera deployed 500 endpoints via the Poly RealPresence Desktop solution to respond to the high-demand for telehealth visits. Remote diagnosis and monitoring have been hugely beneficial in relieving on-site nurses from being required to go into every room and potentially risk contracting the virus. Additionally, this saves nurses time – allowing them to treat more patients. This rapid deployment of Poly solutions ensured that operations continued to run smoothly and helped Avera feel as if they were prepared ahead of time because of the strong technology backbone they already had in place.

Poly also worked with Avera to increase the number of live sessions, allowing them to have an additional 600 video sessions per day to allow staff to remotely check on COVID-19 positive patients – this limited the need to use precious PPE (personal protective equipment), and expedited care for patients. The increase in live sessions also allowed Avera eCARE to ramp up other telehealth services to hospitals in need through a quick install via the RealPresence Desktop App.

In some cases, clinicians who were exposed to COVID-19 were outfitted with the RealPresence Desktop App on their laptops or iPads and they were able to work from home while still seeing patients in the hospital. 

A WATERSHED MOMENT FOR TELEHEALTH

During the pandemic, the vast majority of routine and non-urgent medical visits have been relying on telemed to safeguard patients and healthcare workers from illness. This mode of care is something Bell predicts will have staying power long after the pandemic, explaining, “This is that watershed moment for telehealth. We’re just at the tip of it. But now that more people have been exposed to telehealth, it’s going to be difficult to go back to pre-COVID times. Patients are going to demand it – why would you want to go to the hospital when you can stay in the comfort of your home or office?”

We are living through a time with so much at stake when it comes to health and the ways in which technology has enabled so much of our lives to turn virtual is astounding. And as time goes on, it’s only becoming more difficult to imagine things going back to the way they were before COVID-19. As Mandy Bell said, this is truly a pivotal moment for telemedicine. Healthcare systems such as Avera eCARE that have been embracing technology and driving innovation to provide quality care remotely have been at the forefront of reshaping the medical space.

For more information about Poly’s solutions for healthcare, contact a Poly representative.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Brochure: Poly Healthcare Solutions

A look at the solutions that help drive success in healthcare. Download brochure.

Solution Brief: Poly Telehealth Application

Smooth integration of video into Epic EHR. Download solution brief.

Quick Start Guide: Poly Grant Assistance Programs (PGAP)

We know that finding and getting a grant can be time-consuming and overwhelming. That’s why Poly provides assistance in every aspect of proposal preparation, funding selection, and submission of grant applications. Let us help you find funding to implement voice, video, and data communications solutions. Our team of grant and industry experts will help you create a funding solution package to meet your specific and unique needs and achieve your project outcomes. Download quick start guide.