Loyola University Medical Center pediatrician Dr. Kathleen Webster, a leader in the growing field of telemedicine, is being honored by the American Telemedicine Association (ATA).
Webster is secretary of the ATA's Pediatric Telehealth Special Interest Group (SIG), which has won the association's SIG & Chapter Achievement Award. The award will be presented during the ATA 2012 Meeting and Exposition, April 28 to May 1, in San Jose, Ca.
Winners of the annual awards have demonstrated "a long-term commitment to expanding the quality and accessibility of healthcare through telemedicine and mobile healthcare applications," said ATA president Dr. Bernard Harris, Jr. "Their work has saved and improved countless lives."
The Pediatric Telehealth SIG has advanced ATA's mission by promoting pediatric telemedicine through external collaboration and outreach and by developing educational opportunities for ATA members and non-members. Chair of the group is Dr. Neil Herendeen of the University of Rochester Medical Center, and vice chair is Julie Hall-Barrow, EdD, of the University of Arkansas.
Telemedicine is the use of medical information, exchanged from one site to another via electronic communications, to improve patients' health status. An associated term, "telehealth," is a broader definition that can include non-clinical services. Telemedicine and telehealth include videoconferencing, transmission of still images, patient portals, remote monitoring of vital signs, continuing medical education and nursing call centers.
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