Innovative Governance Model for a Sustainable State-Wide University-Based Telemedicine Program

Abstract

AbstractGovernance of a telemedicine program can influence the sustainability of a state-wide telemedicine program. Concerns of the founding ATP director regarding governance at the University of Arizona’s College of Medicine, in Tucson, 115 miles from the State Capitol in Phoenix, AZ, were addressed by legislative leaders through their creation of the Arizona Telemedicine Council (ATC). This blue-ribbon “non-statutory overarching authority” holds its quarterly 2-hour luncheon meetings in the Board Room of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee on the Arizona State Capitol Campus, in Phoenix. The ATP director creates the ATC meeting agendas. He has moderated all 92 ATC meetings, dating back to October 1996. Chairs of Appropriations Committees in the AZ House of Representatives and AZ State Senate have chaired the meetings. ATC’s meetings provide the opportunity for direct communication between AZ State Legislators, the ATP, and other Arizona stakeholders. This highly visible interest in telemedicine and telehealth on the AZ State Capitol campus, the regularity of ATC meetings, and the free exchange of information among stakeholders has encouraged establishment and success of many high-quality Arizona-based telemedicine programs over the years.