? ? Located in Virginia's westernmost counties, Mountain Empire Older Citizens, Inc., (MEOC) is the designated area agency on aging and public transit entity for Lee, Wise, Scott Counties and the City of Norton, Virginia. MEOC is closely connected with entities in the surrounding states of Kentucky and Tennessee and works closely in tri-state initiatives and other projects directed towards serving the Appalachian region. MEOC's Appalachian roots direct its efforts and its philosophy and, thus, there is a major emphasis on community collaborations, community empowerment, development of partnerships, and intergenerational programming. ? ? Building upon existing community collaborations, the """"""""Telehealth in Rural Southwest Virginia"""""""" project is a multifaceted approach designed to enhance access to digital health information resources for health professionals and consumers in the medical underserved areas of Southwest Virginia and, through further training, to increase awareness and use of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) services among healthcare providers, patients, and consumers. ? ? The """"""""Telehealth in Rural Southwest Virginia"""""""" project has identified three specific aims: ? ? ? Upgrade Internet connectivity at the MEOC physical facility from ISDN modem to the Lee, Norton, Wise & Scott (LENOWlSCO) E-Corridor fiber optic backbone, thereby increasing access to digital libraries and allowing for high-bandwidth applications for MEOC staff, local health care providers and the community. ? ? Develop a video conferencing facility utilizing the current MEOC conference area for distance education and delivery of telehealth programs to healthcare providers and consumers. ? ? Develop a wireless classroom and provide training on National Library of Medicine (NLM) products and services including Pubmed and MEDLINEplus to healthcare providers and consumers. ? ? ? ?
