• The WSRGN has created a Vietnamese transconversion of the What to Expect from a Telehealth Visit. You can find it at: https://youtu.be/MQeNKcT5l1g
• More transconversions of the video are coming in Samoan, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Tagalog, Ilocano, and Russsian.

The Western States Regional Genetics Network (WSRGN) is excited to announce the launch of our free on-line telehealth training course for family advocate and other program staff to help families access services by telehealth and use them well.

The course gives a foundation of knowledge about telehealth and where to find telehealth resources to help families connect to services by telehealth. The seven modules are:

• Introduction to Telehealth,
• Overview of Telehealth Visits,
• Telehealth Technology,
• Best Practices for Telehealth Visits in a Patient’s Home,
• Telehealth Policy and Legal Issue,
• Coverage for Telehealth,
• Family Resources for Telehealth

A course completion certificate is provided.  The estimated time to complete the seven modules is less than two hours.  To register and start the course, please go to: https://www.familytelehealthtraining.org/

The National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers has updated their website. The new site has improved resources to benefit practicing clinicians and patients alike, and includes an interactive map, collections of curated information, success stories, blurbs from experts, etc. Visit:

• https://telehealthresourcecenter.org/

The WSRGN has redesigned our telehealth resources page, which includes links to help both patients and providers. https://www.westernstatesgenetics.org/telehealth-resources/

For the first time, the WSRGN held two back-to-back in-person Telegenetics Training sessions in February and will be holding three back-to-back sessions in New England in April.  There are multiple dates planned in the Western States region over the next several months: Southern California in the second week of June, Northern California in mid-August, and Tucson, AZ in late January 2019.  Exact dates and locations in California are being narrowed down, and an announcement will be sent to all WSRGN partners once they are set.

The WSRGN will be holding the next Telegenetics Training in Tucson, AZ in February 2018.  The training includes a series of online modules and two webinars along with a mandatory one-day in-person session.  There are two dates to choose from for the one-day in-person training in February, the 15^th or the 16^th.  Please let us know if there are any genetic counselors you think would benefit from this training.

The WSRGN, with support from the Southwest Telehealth Resource Center, recently held two training sessions, one in Tuscon, AZ in August and another in Iowa City, Iowa in October.  The training includes a series of online modules and two webinars along with a one-day in-person session.  The purpose of the training is to introduce genetics providers to telemedicine equipment and how to incorporate telegenetics into clinical practice.

The next training will be held in Tucson in February 2018.  Please contact Michelle Takemoto at michelle@hawaiigenetics.org if you or a genetics provider you know is interested in future trainings.

The WSGSC and Heartland Genetics held a training session in Tuscon, AZ this April, which was a great success. The purpose of the training, which also includes webinars and completion of a series of online modules prior to the in-person meeting, is to introduce genetics providers to telemedicine equipment and how to incorporate telegenetics into clinical practice.

Please contact michelle@hawaiigenetics.org if you or a genetics provider you know is interested in future training dates.

The WSGSC is working with the NCC Telegenetics and Evaluation Workgroups to plan and implement a series of meetings where genetic providers will identify health outcomes of genetics services that can be used to demonstrate the benefits and advantages of services provided, whether in-person or via interactive video-conferencing. Genetics providers from several regional collaboratives, including genetic counselors from the WSGSC will participate. The project is scheduled to conclude May 31, 2017, with the end of the current grant cycle.

Applications for the next *Telegenetics Training* course for genetic counselors are being accepted until *February 10th*.

The course includes:

• 10 self paced on-line modules (about 15 minutes each)
• 2 webinars (one 1 hour and one 1.5 hour)
• 1 day in-person training at the Southwest Telehealth Resource Center in Tucson, AZ on April 3rd, 2017

CEUs are provided for all the components of the course.

*The Western States Genetic Services Collaborative will cover the cost of the CEUs for all components of the training and travel for the in-person session for successful applicants who work or plan to work in the WSGSC region (Alaska, California, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington).*

Please distribute the attached Training flyer about the training to people or organizations in your state that may be interested.