§ 9-2-117 — Office of rural health created; duties

(a) The office of rural health is created within the
department of health. The office shall:
(i) Serve as a clearinghouse for information on
primary health care services in communities and rural areas of
Wyoming and provide for dissemination of information by
appropriate means to interested citizens of the state;
(ii) Provide technical assistance and consultation
services to communities and rural areas, including hospitals
located in these communities and rural areas, and thereby assist
citizens' groups, local officials and health professionals to:
(A) Recruit and retain health care professionals
and support personnel as required;
(B) Assess health care needs and priorities in
rural areas;
(C) Identify sources of funding and programming,
including information on rural health care districts;
(D) Establish strong working relationships with
health care professionals throughout the state;
(E) Repealed by Laws 2016, ch. 37, § 2.
(F) Assist in the development of rural health
clinics;
(G) Repealed by Laws 2016, ch. 37, § 2.
(iii) Contract, if necessary, with other entities to
carry out duties prescribed under this section, and to conduct
an active and ongoing recruitment program for physicians and
other health care professionals, subject to the availability of
funds, and to engage in the following activities:
(A) Assist communities in their effort to
recruit and retain physicians and other health care
professionals;
(B) Assist communities in the contact and
evaluation of potential candidates;
(C) Conduct community studies to ascertain
viable support for health care professionals;
(D) Assist physicians and other health care
professionals and their families to find communities that will
meet their needs and expectations;
(E) Maintain close liaison with government and
private sources of health care providers;
(F) Assess the availability of health care
providers in the state;
(G) Facilitate incorporation of mid-level
providers into the state health delivery system.
(iv) Collaborate with state agencies, private health
organizations and professional and community organizations in a
continuing effort to improve needed rural, primary care and
other health care services for the people of Wyoming;
(v) Administer the loan repayment programs created by
W.S. 9-2-118 and 9-2-119;
(vi) In collaboration with the state health officer
and the state chief information officer, represent the
department of health in a consortium of state agencies, private
health organizations and professional and community
organizations to facilitate the operations of a statewide
interoperable telemedicine/telehealth network using existing
internet protocol based communication and videoconferencing
infrastructure and telecommunication services to the extent
possible. The consortium shall:
(A) Consist of members appointed by the director
of the department of health, to include the Wyoming chief
information officer or the officer's designee;
(B) Coordinate the development and promotion of
statewide standards for an interoperable telemedicine/telehealth
network and, where applicable, promote definitions and standards
for statewide electronic health transactions;
(C) Promote and conduct education programs that
inform network users that information communicated through the
use of telemedicine/telehealth shall conform with state and
federal privacy and security laws and information security
programs established by the state chief information officer;
(D) Have the authority to seek funds for
consortium operation and contract as needed to carry out its
responsibilities.
(vii) In collaboration with the state health officer
and the state chief information officer or their designees,
coordinate with appropriate state agencies to establish
incentives to implement, promote and facilitate the voluntary
exchange of secure telemedicine/telehealth network information
between and among individuals, entities and agencies that are
providing and paying for services authorized under the Medicaid
program, in conformity with rules adopted by the state chief
information officer;
(viii) In collaboration with the state health officer
and the state chief information officer or their designees,
develop and promote a common direction for a statewide
interoperable telemedicine/telehealth network among state
agencies, in conformity with rules adopted by the department of
enterprise technology services;
(ix) As required by W.S. 33-1-303(a)(iv) and in
collaboration with the state health officer and the state chief
information officer or their designees, collaborate with
professional and occupational licensure boards concerning the
promulgation of rules and definitions related to the practice of
telemedicine/telehealth and the use of telemedicine/telehealth
technologies.