As they appear in photo from the left:
US Congressman Jack Kingston, Telemedicine Manager Mona Moore, Serenia P Carnegie,
and GA State Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John Oxendine

A patient goes to his or her local doctor's office and connects to a specialist, who may be hundreds of miles away, through the use of:

• Software
• Special cameras
• Computers
• Video equipment
• Phone lines

Why is Telemedicine used?
Telemedicine gives rural patients a greater access to specialty care.

These patients often have a hard time seeing a specialist because:

• They do not have a specialist who works near their home
• They have to travel far from home to see a specialist
• They have to take time off of work or school
• They have to wait a long time to see a specialist
• They prefer to see a doctor they know

Telemedicine helps to solve these problems by connecting the specialist and patient no matter how far apart they are from each other.

What is the Georgia Telemedicine Program?
In 2004, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia launched a Telemedicine network throughout the state. The Telemedicine Program now has:

• More than 45 rural Presentation Sites, such as clinics and doctor offices
• Fifteen (15) Specialty Centers such as university hospitals, leading medical centers, and specialist offices

The staff at any Presentation Site can meet with the staff at any Specialty Center. This is called an "open" network.

What types of specialists are available?
More than 40 types of specialists are available. The most often used are: dermatology, psychiatry, neurology, endocrinology, pediatrics, cardiology, diabetic education, ophthalmology, ENT, pain management, rheumatology, urology, and transplant medicine.

How does Telemedicine work?
A Telemedicine visit can be done in two ways:

Live Video
The local doctor and the patient can see a specialist right away using video cameras, computers, and phone equipment.

• The patient's local doctor decides that a specialist is needed and that Telemedicine would be the best way to help the patient.
• The patient agrees to see the specialist through the use of Telemedicine.
• A time is set up for the patient to be seen by the specialist.
• During this time, the specialist sees the patient through the use of a special camera.
• The specialist gives his or her view about how to help the patient's health condition.

Store and Forward
A picture of the patient's health condition is taken and sent to the specialist for review.

• The patent's local doctor decides that a specialist should review the patient's health condition.
• The patient agrees to have a picture taken of his or her health condition.
• The patient's data and photos are sent to the specialist for review.
• The specialist sends comments back to the local doctor to help the patient.

Who should I contact for more information?
Please call SMITH Northview Hospital for Telehealth at 229-671-2190,
or email Serenia Carnegie at serenia@smithhospital.com

To fill out the Telemedicine consultation form, please click here.

Or, click the following logo, to visit the Telemedicine website: .