Awardees Honored for Contributions to Digital Health

By Spencer Watson

The resource center serves Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee. It functions primarily through a website that works in partnership with the UAMS Institute for Digital Health & Innovation. The resource center website, www.learntelehealth.org, targets health care and health education groups that have an interest in using telehealth.

Michelle Griffith

Michelle Griffith

Michelle Griffith, M.D., an assistant professor at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Ryan Kelly, M.S., executive director of the Mississippi Rural Health Association, were both presented with the Curtis Lowery, Jr., M.D., Telehealth Champion Award. It honors those who initiate and promote utilization and sustainability of telehealth services.

The award is named for the director of the Institute for Digital Health & Innovation, the inaugural award recipient.

Additionally, Rebecca Jolley, MBA, executive director of the Rural Health Association of Tennessee, was presented with the Adam D. Rule Telehealth Ninja Award for serving patients by promoting telehealth through implementation and encouraging legislation.

Rebecca Jolley

Rebecca Jolley

“These individuals have spent countless hours working with patients, providers, payers and legislators to build systems for digital health in their home states, and each of them have helped to create solutions that serve patients where they live, which may not be close to a health care provider,” said Lowery. “This recognition couldn’t be more deserved for their hard work in helping to expand the possibilities for digital medicine.”

LearnTelehealth.org was also made possible by a grant from Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the Telehealth Resource Center Grant Program.