Abdelmoity Receives HRSA Award for Epilepsy and Telemedicine

Ahmed Abdelmoity, MD, FAAP, and Jean-Baptiste Le Pichon MD, PHD, FAAP, received a four-year, $1,664,000 award from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)–Maternal and Child Health Bureau.

The project – “Reaching out for Epilepsy in Adolescents and Children through Telemedicine (REACT)” – aims to increase access to quality coordinated health care in a patient/family-centered medical home for Children and Youth with Epilepsy (CYE) residing in rural and medically underserved areas in the state of Kansas. It is a joint project of the Divisions of Telemedicine and Neurology.

Drs. Ahmed Abdelmoity (left) and Jean-Baptiste Le Pichon (right)

The project will link pediatric specialists with primary care providers (PCP) in rural and medically-underserved communities of Kansas, providing remote access to epileptologists for both patient care and staff education and training. Children’s Mercy Kansas City (CMKC) and the participating PCPs will provide comprehensive care, using best-practices, to CYE where they live. The project partners with six clinical sites throughout Kansas including primary care practices in Pittsburg, Oakley, Hays, Junction City and Dodge City and adult neurology at Kansas University Medical Center for transition to adult care. The project relies heavily on the extensive telemedicine network that CMKC has built.

Co-investigators on the study include Kathy Goggin, PhD, Mark Hoffman, PhD, Jay Portnoy, MD, Gina Jones, DO, Erin Fecske, CPNP, and Paul Glasier, PhD.