Although there were significant disruptions to a majority of UTMB's physical and operational infrastructures, its telemedicine services were able to resume near normal activities within the first week of the post-Ike recovery period, an unimaginable feat in the face of such remarkable devastation. Based on its experience with hurricanes Rita and, most recently, Ike, the University of Texas Medical Branch ( UTMB) experienced its most challenging trials.

In addition, none of the >200 local and statewide telemedicine programs in the United States has ever responded to a large-scale disaster, let alone, experienced one directly. Vo, Alexander H Brooks, George B Bourdeau, Michael Farr, Ralph Raimer, Ben Gĭespite previous efforts and expenditure of tremendous resources on creating and simulating disaster response scenarios, true disaster response, specifically for healthcare, has been inadequate. University of Texas Medical Branch telemedicine disaster response and recovery: lessons learned from hurricane Ike. The UTMB to the South Pole teledermatology program demonstrates the clinical practicality of telemedicine in providing dermatologic care to remote populations in extreme climate conditions. Issues encountered include logistics of sending out biopsies for pathologic diagnosis, limited bandwidth, and satellite availability for data transmission. We present the practices and results of the UTMB to the South Pole teledermatology program over the past six years, from 2003 to 2008. (RPS) awarded The University of Texas Medical Branch ( UTMB) at Galveston the contract to provide specialty medical services via telemedicine to the approximately 3,500 National Science Foundation (NSF) researchers and support personnel who rotate through Antarctica in a given year. There is no place on earth more remote and inaccessible than Antarctica. A review of the practices and results of the UTMB to South Pole teledermatology program over the past six years.

Beaux mendes ad infinitum