: Woman's Hospital, a 225-bed not-for-profit women's and infants' specialty hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, proposes to develop a technology plan to improve access to maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) services now provided on its main campus and at clinic locations at other hospitals throughout the state. To address differences in readiness and organizational structure, Woman's Hospital is partnering with two hospitals, one of them <100 beds. The plan developed will guide the implementation of telemedicine capabilities to provide real-time remote diagnostic ultrasound and consultative services to women with high-risk pregnancies, in a state with the highest incidence of very-low-birthweight births (<1500 grams), the second highest incidence of low-birthweight births (<2500 grams), and the third highest neonatal death rate in the country. The intent is to: 1) increase remote physician and patient access to diagnostic ultrasound and consultative services; 2) reduce travel costs incurred when the hospital's four board-certified MFM specialists travel by plane or car to remote locations; and 3) increase the amount of time MFM specialists spend giving care, not traveling. The planning process will bring together representatives from the partners and Woman's Hospital at four summit meetings and on three teams tasked with exploring clinical, technology, and finance and governance issues. Woman's Hospital will build upon its existing partnership base for MFM services and its strong and positive experience in formalizing and operationalizing relationships with community-based hospitals and physicians. Thus, the project team can focus on the complexities of the planning process, without having to build relationships from the ground up. ? ? ?
