The arrival of high-speed Internet in Kansas City has spurred creativity and entrepreneurialism nowhere like it has in the field of medicine.
In 2011, when Google announced it had selected Kansas City to launch its experimental fiber optic network, the region came together to discuss ways this technology could be used to advance fields like education, government, arts and culture, and healthcare.
Due to the high-bandwidth streaming power of Google Fiber, when talk turned to healthcare, telemedicine was quickly identified as a remarkable opportunity.
Now less than three years later, three fiber-enabled pilot projects involving telemedicine are in the works right here in Kansas City.
Join the KC Digital Drive on the eve of mHIT2014, the Midwest Health Informatics & Telemedicine Conference at Children’s Mercy, to learn about these exciting projects leveraging high-speed fiber optic internet. Admission is free to all conference attendees and anyone from the community interested in technology in health care.
Featured Speakers – Mozilla/US Ignite Grant Winners
Bob Summers, Fitnet: TechHawks @ KUMed
Healthy Hawks, a program within the KU Med Center’s Department of Pediatrics, has been helping Kansas City families overcome issues related to weight since 2004. A Mozilla Gigabit Community Fund award recipient, Tech Hawks utilizes the Fitnet health app for iOS to allow families to engage in virtual, interactive training and nutrition programs with on-demand video exercises delivered in home via LTE enabled tablets.
Morgan Waller, BSN, RN, MBA, Director of Telemedicine Professional Services – Children’s Mercy
Children’s Mercy in Kansas City is the only hospital in the country to feature the fully immersive telepresence tool SightDeck. A pioneer in telemedicine, CMH specializes in providing accurate and timely treatment of pediatric illnesses regardless of geography.
Steve Fennel, Director of Telecommunications Outreach at KU Medical Center
Joining in the charge to develop next-generation apps for digital health, KU Medical Center is building a telepresence pilot project for monitoring dementia patients. KUMC is also applying telemedicine to behavioral health applications.
Keynote Speaker – Kevin Sparks
Kevin Sparks, Chief Strategy Officer for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City
As the largest insurer in the KC region, Blue Cross and Blue Shield is well positioned to provide a look into the future of digital health. Expect deep insights into how technology is changing the way healthcare is delivered.
This event would not be possible without the generous support of these organizations.
