AT&T Foundation Awards Telemedicine Grant (MS Word Version)

TULSA, Okla., Feb. 1, 2006 — The AT&T Foundation, the philanthropic arm of AT&T Inc., has awarded an $8,000 AT&T Excelerator grant to the OSU Center for Health Sciences (OSU-CHS) to further extend the school’s growing network of telemedicine sites in eastern Oklahoma.

Rep. Lucky Lamons, D-Tulsa; Don Cain, president AT&T Oklahoma, and John Fernandes, D.O., M.B.A., president and dean congratulate Dr. Dean Fullingam on being named the AT&T Endowed Professor of Telemedicine.

With the grant, OSU-CHS will purchase and set up video and computer equipment at the OSU Physicians Clinic at Country Club Gardens, a low-income housing community in north Tulsa. With the equipment, the clinic will become the 27th telemedicine site in the OSU-CHS telemedicine network, moving OSU-CHS even closer to its goal of 55 sites.

In addition to the grant announcement, AT&T also named Dr. Dean Fullingim as the AT&T endowed professor of telemedicine at the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine. Fullingim, a Tulsa radiologist and 2004 physician of the year, will oversee OSU’s telemedicine programs in 24 Oklahoma communities, including Poteau, Henryetta and the Choctaw Indian Hospital in Idabel.

“Some patients never see a specialist because they have problems with getting to a doctor,” said Dr. John Fernandes, president, OSU-CHS. “Telemedicine eliminates transportation issues and reduces medical costs so that patients receive the diagnostic and follow-up care they need.”

“Each year, we receive a number of applications for AT&T Excelerator grants, but this one truly stood out as a very worthwhile project that uses technology to have a meaningful impact on Oklahomans,” said Don Cain, president, AT&T Oklahoma. “We’re extremely pleased to be able to help out in some way to extend the reach of medical care through the use of telemedicine technology.”

Dr. Dean Fullingim, newly appointed professor of telemedicine, examines a radiology slide from a rural Oklahoma town.

“At the same time that OSU-CHS is expanding its telemedicine program, AT&T Oklahoma is bringing high-speed Internet service to 68 small and rural communities statewide through our DSL100! broadband program,” Cain said. “We’re working to make sure every community, large or small, in our Oklahoma service area has the broadband technology available to use telemedicine applications.”

The use of technology has been a key factor in the success of OSU-CHS in the advancement of health care in rural areas and to underserved populations. Telemedicine provides rural and underserved areas with the same resources, services and specialty consultation offered to those with easy access to medical care ‑ all without having to leave their community.

Telemedicine primarily uses videoconferencing equipment that interacts with a desktop computer. The technology enables doctors and patients at two separate sites to interact “face to face.” For example, with specialized equipment, telemedicine lets a doctor in Tulsa listen to the heart of a patient in Henryetta, examine his or her ears, provide dermatology consultation and transport medical records, among other services.

Cain commended state Rep. Lucky Lamons, D-Tulsa, and state Sen. Mike Mazzei, R-Tulsa, for their continued support of organizations such as OSU-CHS and for their work to support efforts that advance technology.

“When you see the work of organizations like OSU-CHS, you realize the critical role that technology plays in improving their capacity to serve and in improving the quality of life of those they serve,” Lamons said. “Technology capacity continues to emerge as a key factor in day-to-day operations and outreach, and it needs continued focus.”

“Organizations like OSU-CHS make a profound difference in our communities and in the lives of people across the state,” Mazzei said. “OSU-CSU’s telemedicine program is making great strides in ensuring that all Oklahomans have equal access to high-quality medical care, no matter where they may live.”

AT&T Excelerator is a major philanthropic initiative that connects the nation’s neediest residents, including at-risk youth and underserved urban families, to important community resources. The program also empowers nonprofits to use technology to expand the reach of services and to heighten the impact those services have on people in the community.

The AT&T Foundation provided $6 million in 2005 AT&T Excelerator competitive grants to 513 nonprofit organizations throughout the former SBC 13-state region. The competitive grant program is part of an overall $7 million 2005 AT&T Excelerator initiative. Now in its fourth year, AT&T Excelerator has provided $33 million to more than 2,000 nonprofit organizations around the country to build stronger communities and to improve lives through technology infrastructure and service enhancements.

In 2005, the AT&T Foundation awarded AT&T Excelerator grants totaling $184,150 to 11 Oklahoma organizations. In addition to the grant to OSU-CHS, the AT&T Foundation has awarded AT&T Excelerator grants to: The Bristow Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Bristow, Okla.; Calm Waters Center for Children and Families, Oklahoma City; the Clinton Association for Rights & Equality, Clinton, Okla.; Latino Community Development Agency, Oklahoma City; McCall’s Communities, Ada, Okla.; Oklahoma City National Memorial Foundation, Oklahoma City; Omniplex, Oklahoma City; Public Private Partnership for Juvenile Justice Ltd., Oklahoma City; Tulsa Community College Foundation, Tulsa, Okla.; and Youth and Family Services of Washington County, Bartlesville, Okla.

With the development of new applications, nonprofits are finding innovative ways to employ technology to meet their missions, such as distance learning, the digitization of museum collections and telemedicine. But ideas often outpace resources, with many of these organizations facing technological limitations on a daily basis.

AT&T Excelerator technology grants are designed to address the shortfall by providing the funding needed for critical infrastructure, such as communications systems, computer networks, client management databases and Internet access.

The AT&T Excelerator program is the largest special-grants program ever undertaken by the AT&T Foundation, one of the top corporate foundations in the nation, according to The Foundation Center. Since 1984, AT&T Inc. and the AT&T Foundation have contributed more than $1 billion to nonprofit organizations across the country.

The New AT&T Foundation, the philanthropic arm of AT&T Inc., supports programs that build communities and improve access to information technologies, technology training and professional skills development. The new AT&T Foundation will provide more than $60 million in 2006 in charitable contributions, thereby placing it among the top five largest corporate foundations in the country. The new AT&T Foundation combines more than 40 years and $1.7 billion of philanthropic commitment to communities across the country.
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