Helmsley Grants Nearly $16m To Establish AHA Center For Telehealth

The Helmsley Charitable Trust has granted nearly $16 million to help the American Heart Association (AHA) create the AHA Center for Telehealth, establishing a consortium of gold-standard telehealth education and resources.
 
The center, announced earlier this month at the AHA’s annual Scientific Sessions conference in Philadelphia, encourages healthcare providers to expand their use of telehealth to deliver quality care in populations lacking reliable access to clinicians or facilities, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
 
Walter Panzirer, a Helmsley Trustee, says the delivery of optimal virtual care starts with top-notch telehealth education that advances the skills of healthcare professionals.
 
“It is vital that providers develop competencies through proper training and possess the tools to provide quality, and equitable, telehealth services,” Panzirer says. “We are committed to ensuring that providers have access to the latest, evidence-based resources to deliver telehealth, operationally and clinically, to improve patient outcomes.”

Some 25 percent of patients used telehealth last year, a jump from the 5 percent who accessed remote care prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the AHA. Telehealth improves the effectiveness, accessibility, and efficiency of healthcare services.

“Telehealth as a method of care delivery can potentially transform the healthcare system, reducing costs and increasing quality, patient focus and patient satisfaction,” says Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association. “We are so grateful for Helmsley’s generosity and commitment. Improving access to high-quality care will save more lives and continue to meet people where they are.”

The AHA Center for Telehealth will focus on the four pillars of professional education, individual professional certification, implementation science, and patient engagement. Its goals are to improve provider knowledge, skills, and competency in the delivery of telehealth; establish and disseminate best practices and quality standards to guide telehealth integration into chronic disease management; and build the evidence base for telehealth integration.

Helmsley’s latest grant brings its total support for the American Heart Association to more than $82 million.