Program History

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The Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center (NRTRC) was created in 2005 through the leadership of Stewart Ferguson, Ph D, and a number of individuals sharing a vision and goal to advance Telehealth in the Northwest. Representatives from 33 health care organizations in 8 states and the US-Affiliated Pacific Islands worked to develop a collective mission and vision, create a Board of Directors, by-laws, and a consortium to advance the concept of a multi-state Center.

Two Board Members were elected from each of the states, and met regularly to identify common areas of interest and need, and to identify areas for collaboration. The region’s Telehealth networks possess a wealth of experience and expertise. Many are considered pioneers in the development of Telehealth networks and applications. Consortium members have influenced policy, such as reimbursement, licensure, credentialing and have worked to eliminate barriers to the evolution of telemedicine and Telehealth. Two of our Board members are past presidents of the American Telemedicine Association, a great honor for us.

The NRTRC received funding from the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth (OAT)in 2006. This grant allowed NRTRC to employ a small staff who could focus on expanding NRTRC’s collaborative activities throughout the region. We are currently in our third grant cycle, continuing to build on the work of our Board and staff as we approach the era of the Affordable Care Act.

In 2010, the NRTRC underwent a few changes and a slight size reduction when Hawaii and the US – Affiliated Pacific Islands formed a new Telehealth Resource Center, the Pacific Basin Telehealth Resource Center (PBTRC). This separation was logical because of the growing need for the islands to address their unique challenges and to expand their reach internationally. It also made calling a meeting a bit easier, as the original NRTRC spanned eight time zones. We now only have to worry about three!

NRTRC offices are currently located in Billings, Montana. The NRTRC provides service for 7 states, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming and we have a membership of 41 Telehealth networks.

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