December 2, 2020
We encourage all members to respond to the survey (see below information) that is related to the ongoing work of the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Commission whose mission is to reimagine New York post COVID-19.
The NYS Council was contacted by the leaders of the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Commission in July. Shortly thereafter we joined with our partners at CHCANYS for a formal discussion with the members of the Commissions’ tele health committee regarding to discuss our recommendations for the future of tele health in our sector. Since that time I have had several follow up conversations with representatives from the Commission.
We think it is critical for us to continue to weigh in strong regarding the unique needs of the individuals we serve and the providers who work with them as it relates to current and future use of the tele health modality. We will continue to discuss our recommendations with state leaders, members of the Administration and our representatives in Washington.
Please take a moment to complete the Survey (see below).
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Dear MRT Listserv Subscriber:
The New York State (NYS) Department of Health (The Department) is conducting a survey of All Health Care Providers to gain knowledge of providers’ experiences using telehealth during the COVID-19 State of Emergency. The Department will use the results of this survey to inform post-pandemic telehealth policy development.
The information gathered from this survey will be shared with, and help inform the work of, the Reimagine New York Commission. More information on the Reimagine New York Commission can be found here: https://forward.ny.gov/reimagine-new-york-commission.
The survey should take approximately 20 minutes to complete and can be found at the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KQYXNHR. All clinicians are encouraged to respond; however, please limit to one survey response per individual clinician. The Department is interested in gathering perspectives from clinicians from the same organization, especially if they have different perspectives. Please submit your survey responses as soon as possible; the survey will close on December 15th.
With the rapid transition to telehealth during the State of Emergency, providers may have received surveys from multiple state agencies. Surveys administered over the summer by the Department’s Office of Quality and Patient Safety (OQPS) had a focus on provider well-being and the Office of Mental Health (OMH) survey had a focus on consumer experience with behavioral health services. For providers who are exclusively an OMH-licensed provider and who previously participated in the comprehensive OMH survey, we welcome your responses but understand if you do not have the resources to complete another survey at this time.
Below are COVID-19 telehealth guidance resources issued by New York State and referenced in the survey:
- Medicaid Update Special Edition: Comprehensive Telehealth Guidance
- FAQs on Medicaid Telehealth Guidance during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) State of Emergency
- Webinar: New York State Medicaid Guidance Regarding Telehealth, Including Telephonic, Services During the COVID-19 Emergency
- Department of Health Weekly Health Provider Webinars
- Division of Financial Services: Information for Insurers and Providers on Coverage for Telehealth Services
- Office of Mental Health: Use of Telephone and Two-Way Video Technology by OMH-Licensed, Funded or Designated Providers and Clients Affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Office of Addiction Services and Supports: Telepractice FAQs
- Office for People with Developmental Disabilities: Interim Guidance Regarding the Use of Telehealth/COVID-19
Thank you for partnering with the Department to improve the use of telehealth across New York State.