Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Message from the Interim Director

The Arizona Telemedicine Program (ATP) was established by the Arizona State Legislature in 1996 to improve access to healthcare throughout Arizona, especially in rural and underserved communities, via telemedicine and telehealth. Our team is committed to serving all of Arizona in a respectful and welcoming way. We actively reach out to all communities with telehealth education and training.

Telemedicine and telehealth services offer a wide range of clinical healthcare, and healthcare education, access and delivery capabilities that can enable more timely and equitable healthcare by reducing or eliminating geographical location and travel time as barriers for both patients and providers. It is important to design and implement telehealth services that are inclusive, respectful of individual and cultural diversity, and equipped for equity.

I am privileged to work with an outstanding group of colleagues who are committed to creating and maintaining a professional, respectful, collaborative, diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment with everyone with whom we work. The ATP team looks forward to the opportunity to partner with all healthcare stakeholders throughout Arizona to leverage telemedicine and telehealth to improve the accessibility of healthcare services and education, and to positively impact health outcomes. 

Michael J. Holcomb, BS
Interim Director
Arizona Telemedicine Program
mholcomb@telemedicine.arizona.edu
520-626-4496

Selected ATP DEI related blogs, archived webinars, online training modules and resources:

Blogs:

• • Making Telemedicine Feasible for Everyone – Especially Those With Physical Challenges
  • Physician says accessibility is key when it comes to patients with disabilities and telehealth
  • Telehealth Care for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing
  • Teleaudiology: Breaking Down Treatment Barriers for People with Hearing Loss
  • Encounters with Telehealth: Older Adults with Limited English Proficiency Living Rurally
  • Telehealth and Libraries; a Perfect Pairing

Archived Webinars:

• • Mobilizing Partnerships to Advancing Health Equity and Addressing Disparities (AHEAD) in Arizona, Dr. Mona Arora
    • Webinar Flyer (PDF)
    • Presentation Slides (PDF)
    • Click to view webinar

Online Telehealth Training Modules:

Select modules are available in multiple languages.  Completion of a brief survey is required for access.

• • English
  • Spanish
  • Navajo
  • Arabic
  • French
  • Mandarin

University of Arizona DEI Resources:

• • College of Medicine – Tucson Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
  • University of Arizona Health Sciences Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
  • University of Arizona Office of Diversity and Inclusion

Selected National Telehealth DEI Resources:

• • Website: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Health Resources and Services Administration: Health Equity in Telehealth
  • Webinar: Building Accessible Telehealth For Patients With Disabilities From The Ground Up
  • Fact Sheet: Telehealth & Disability: Recommendations For Providers

Disability-related accommodations: 
Please contact us regarding any questions about disability-related accommodations that will facilitate your full participation such as ASL interpreting, captioned videos, Braille or electronic text, etc.  Our contact information is located here: https://telemedicine.arizona.edu/contact 

University of Arizona Land Acknowledgement:
We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples. Today, Arizona is home to 22 federally recognized tribes, with Tucson being home to the O’odham and the Yaqui. Committed to diversity and inclusion, the University strives to build sustainable relationships with sovereign Native Nations and Indigenous communities through education offerings, partnerships, and community service.