The effectiveness of the statewide telehealth system during an emergency will be put to the test June 2-3 during Dental Day X, an annual outreach project for the UNMC College of Dentistry.
The telehealth system, which uses high-speed data lines or T1 lines to transmit video and audio signals, will be used by dental professionals in seven Panhandle towns for consultations by specialists at the UNMC College of Dentistry in Lincoln. The T1 lines are installed in hospitals and are subsidized by the state Public Service Commission and federal dollars in an effort to provide connectivity to rural parts of the U.S.
“The geographic distance between the Panhandle sites and the dental college in Lincoln make this event the perfect time to test how well the telehealth system would work if an actual emergency should occur,” said Phil Smith, M.D., professor of Internal Medicine, chief of the Infectious Disease section and director of the Biocontainment Unit at UNMC.
“The system could be used by emergency personnel, medical personnel, law enforcement or anyone who would assist during a widespread emergency,” Dr. Smith said. “This is another example of how Nebraska continues to be out front when planning for domestic emergencies.”
“Not only is the telehealth system a useful tool during emergencies, but it is also very useful to doctors, dentists and other health care providers,” said Dennis Berens, director, HHS Regulation and Licensure, Office of Rural Health. “It provides access to other professionals and specialists for consultations, which inevitably will save practitioners and patients time and money.”
This will be the third year in which the UNMC College of Dentistry has traveled across the state to offer dental services, at no cost, to children in the Panhandle region of Nebraska. More than 175 children are expected to receive cleanings, as well as restorative and preventive care during the event. All of the children participating have been pre-screened by dental volunteers in their communities. No new appointments will be taken on the day of the event. Participating communities include: Sidney, Alliance, Gering, Chadron, Crawford, Rushville and Gordon.