The Home Healthcare Telemedicine program was developed in an effort order to manage patients’ health with limited resources and to reduce hospitalizations.  Specific drivers of the development of the model are listed below.

• Growing size of population over 85 years old
• Shortage of RNs in state; New Mexico RN shortage projected to be 43% by 2020.
• Shortage of inpatient hospital beds in Central New Mexico
• Challenge of serving older patients in rural areas with scarce population concentrations
• Recognition that patient and family satisfaction is greater when patients do not have to be hospitalized.
• Recognition that hospitalizations can contribute to iatrogenic complications in this elderly, vulnerable population.

The idea for the model came from presentations at National Association for Home Care meetings and seeing groups incorporate more technology in other settings such as the use of satellite Telemedicine for education.