Arrowhead Telepresence Coalition

An Integrated Behavioral Health Network

Arrowhead Health Alliance Our Vision

To serve all of northeastern Minnesota with integrated public health care and human services that are efficient, accessible and affordable.

AHA Goals• Improve availability and sustainability of local services

• Promote coordination and integration among providers to improve client outcomes and maximize resources

• Secure adequate funding to support high-quality infrastructure

• Enhance prevention services and strategies to maximize quality of life.

Joint Powers Board Formed in 2007

Arrowhead Health Alliance (AHA) is comprised of the Minnesota Counties of Carlton, Cook, Lake, Koochiching and St. Louis

Governed by a board of County Commissioners representing each of the 5 member counties

Board provides governance for the Arrowhead Behavioral Health Initiative

Arrowhead Behavioral Health

InitiativeThe ABHI (Arrowhead Behavioral Health Initiative) formerly knows as the Region 3 Adult Mental Health Initiative is one of 19 AMHIs in the state of Minnesota.

The ABHI represents the Minnesota Counties and Lake Superior Chippewa Bands of Bois Forte, Carlton, Cook, Fond du Lac, Grand Portage, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, and St. Louis

DHS Grant Funding Administered By The ABHI helps to fund various mental health related resources in the region.

Some of the initiatives

• Birch Tree Center (Crisis Residential Duluth)• Wellstone Center (Crisis Residential Eveleth)• Crisis Phone Lines (throughout region)• Mobile Crisis Response (throughout region)• Letstalkmn Crisis Campaign

Why Telepresence – Brief History

• 2011 – Identified need in rural remote areas of our region.

• 2012 – Beg/Barrow/not quite steal telepresence resources from Georgia Partnership for Telehealth and private Telepresence provider (Connexus)

• 2013 – Developed relationship with DHS/MN.IT to learn more about state operated Telepresence Network (Vidyo)

• 2014 – Provided limited access to state network (6-8 accounts)

• 2015 – Developed formal “Project Charter” with DHS/MNIT

• 2018 – Renewed Charter to 2021

Initial Project Charter

The Initial Project Charter came at the request of the Health and Human Services Directors from Region 3. The Charter would be between Arrowhead Health Alliance/Region 3 and the Minnesota Department of Human Services/MN.IT Office of Telecommunity Development.

Early Attempts

Early Lessons

• Telepresence is not the Field of Dreams

• Change is Hard

• Not everyone loves the idea of being on camera

• Technology is scary

• This telepresence stuff is a lot of work

• This telepresence stuff takes a lot of time

• What is inexpensive to some is expensive to others

• This is not a telepresence network (well not exactly)

• Don’t forget the IT Director

• Just because you can use your phone doesn’t mean you should

Tackling the two biggest challenges

Dedicated Staff

$125,000 grant from Ucare provide funding to hire a full time Regional Telepresence

Coordinator

Equipment

$100,000 grant from Blue Cross provided funding to

purchase equipment.

What Exactly are we building here?

Traditional and Non-Traditional Integrated Behavioral Health

Network.

2015 we proposed a 3 year Project Charter to focus in Integrated Behavioral Health – The Project gained support from the Commissioner of Human Services and the state CIO.

Arrowhead Telepresence Coalition

18 Organizations signed on to form the Arrowhead Telepresence Coalition.

These organizations represented

• Counties

• Tribes

• Community Mental Health Centers

• Physician Groups

• TXT4LIfe

• Other Collaboratives

2015

What we envisioned

Success Stories

•Carlton County Jail

•NERC

•County/Tribal Health and Human Services

•Range Mental Health

•HDC

•Northland Counseling

•Grand Portage

•Northern St. Louis County Schools

• In Home Client Services

•Mobile Crisis Response

•Mobile Law Enforcement*

Arrowhead Health AllianceArrowhead Juvenile CenterBarnum SchoolsBirch Tree Center ResidentialBirch Tree Center Mobile CrisisCenter for Alcohol and Drug TreatmentCarlton County Public Health & Human ServicesCarlton County Child SupportCarlton County JailCarlton High SchoolCenter for American Indian Resources (CAIR)Cherry ISD 2142Chisholm High SchoolCloquet High School – Alternative LearningCloquet High SchoolCloquet Memorial HospitalCommunity Health BoardCook County Public Health and Human ServicesCook County Schools ISD 166Cook HospitalCromwell Wright High SchoolEly Schools ISD 696Esko School

Floodwood SchoolFond du Lac EducationGrand Portage Human ServicesGuidePoint PharmacyHuman Development Center – Carlton, Cook, Douglas, Lake, and St. LouisHuman Development Center Crisis ResponseHope Lutheran ChurchIntegrity HealthInternational Falls Schools ISD 361Kiesler Wellness CenterKoochiching County JailKoochiching County H&HSLake County JailLake County Public Health and Human ServicesLake View HospitalLake Superior Community Health CenterMesabi ACT OfficeMesabi East ISD 2711Min No Aya WinMoose Lake Family CenterMoose Lake High School

Mountain Iron – Buhl SchoolsNorth Shore HealthNorth Woods School ISD 2142Northeast Regional Corrections Center (NERCC)Northeast Range &SchoolNorthland Counseling Center – Aitkin, Grand Rapids, and I‐FallsNorthland Counseling Center Crisis Response Northland Learning CenterPineview Recovery CenterRaiter ClinicRange Mental Health CenterSawtooth Mountain ClinicSilver Bay Service CenterSilver Bay Sheriff’s OfficeSouth Ridge SchoolSt. Louis County Attorney’s OfficeSt. Louis County JailTagwii Recovery CenterVirginia SchoolsWellstone Crisis Response TeamWellstone Recovery CenterWrenshall High School

Arrowhead Telepresence Coalition 2019

85 Organizations400 Accounts and Growing

Next Steps for the Arrowhead Region

• Updated Project Charter – Approved Charter Extension 2019-2021

• 3 Year HRSA Grant with gpTRAC, The University of Minnesota, and Breakwater Health System to expand telepresence to FQHCs.

• Continued Expansion of Network Including• Adding additional users and likeminded organizations

• Law Enforcement (Squad Cars)

• PRTFs

• Aging Services

Next Steps in the StateThe Promises and Challenges Facing Telemedicine/Telepresence in

Minnesota

The projected demand for access to the State sponsored, interoperable telepresence platform in Minnesota is expected to grow from 4,000 users in 2018 to over 100,000 users in 2022.