The University of Wyoming's Wyoming Telehealth Network (WyTN) is assisting healthcare providers virtually connect with patients to prevent the spread of and assist in the diagnosis of the COVID-19 virus. The network is administered by the Wyoming Institute for Disabilities, a unit of the College of Health Sciences at the University of Wyoming, in partnership with the Wyoming Department of Health.

The WyTN provides ongoing training and support in telehealth best practices for Wyoming healthcare professionals, including the process of enrolling providers in the telehealth network, issuing HIPAA-secure Zoom licenses, and providing technical support throughout the process. Recently, telehealth has also proven to be a critical component in allowing health care providers to virtually meet with patients, allowing for diagnosis and treatment options without the risk of exposure to the virus.

Since the beginning of March, the number of requests for telehealth licenses in Wyoming have increased significantly. Previously, the WyTN enrolled on average 26 healthcare providers per month. In March of 2020, 1,223 Wyoming providers were enrolled, primarily in the areas of primary care, mental health, pediatrics, emergency medicine, physical therapy, and speech therapy. In addition, the traffic to the Wyoming Telehealth Network website increased nearly 750% between February and March of 2020.

An important component of the WyTN access to evidence-based practices is through online resources and monthly webinars for healthcare providers, providing support and training on the use of telehealth in a medical practice. The March 25th webinar quickly adapted to the rapidly changing healthcare situation, providing a session on setting up a telehealth clinic facilitated by Albany Community Health Clinic clinicians and UW College of Health Sciences faculty with over 125 providers from throughout Wyoming in attendance. In addition, WIND has provided relevant support and information to health care providers, including Zoom Open Lab hours twice a week to provide an opportunity for questions and training.

 The rapid implementation of telehealth throughout the state is critical for the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 during the quarantine. Telehealth will continue to be a critical part of the future of healthcare in Wyoming after this crisis, and the WyTN will grow to meet the needs of our state by providing evidence-based professional development, innovative application of technology, technical assistance, and support for statewide collaboration.

More information on the Wyoming Telehealth Network is available at wyomingtelehealth.org.