International Virtual e-Hospital Foundation Address: 7200 Biglerville Anchorage AK 99507 Phone: (520)-243-9086, (907)-250-6844 Email: info@iveh.org

Home Mission Board of Directors Virtual Team News and Events Meetings and Seminars Projects Publications and Presentations Lectures Report from trips Announcements International Virtual e-Hospital Alumni Photo Gallery On the Media Contact Us Sitemap Webmail Recent News The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the U.S. Department of State has awarded $850,000 to the International Virtual e-Hospital Foundation (former Kosova Foundation for Medical Development). ============== Ministry of Health.  Professor Latifi meets in a workshop with officials of MH. Dr Latifi in the presence of Deputy Minister presented the project of  Advancement of Telemedicine and Training of Supporting staff to the Regional Health Managers. This project will be implemented with the support of Department of  State of  USA and the contribute of  Dr. Rifat Latifi.

FIRST INTENSIVE BALKAN TELEMEDICINE SEMINAR Telemedicine & Telehealth in the developing countries: "From Inception to Implementation. The future has begun.” October 25-27, 2002 Grand Hotel, Prishtina, Kosova Seminar Description Scientific Program Day I Scientific Program Day II Scientific Program Day III Organizing Committee Local Organizing Committee International Faculty Sponsors Photo Gallery Welcome Address from the Prime Minister of Kosova - Bajram Rexhepi Welcome Address of the Minister of Health of Kosova - Numan Baliq Welcome Address from Principal International Officer - Hannu Vuori Welcome Address from the Rector of University of Prishtina - Zejnel Kelmendi Welcome Address of Dean of Medical of Unicersity of Prishtina, Kosova - Riza Binishi Welcome Address of Chairman of Local Organizing Committee - Shaip Muja Welcome Address from the Chairman of Organizing Committee and Director of Telemedicine Project of Kosova - Rifat Latifi Seminar Description       Leading international authorities in the field of Telemedicine and Telehealth will present an intensive two and half-day seminar. World-renowned scholars and industry experts will address the many facets involved in transforming healthcare in developing countries. Topics to be included will be building and establishing sustainable telemedicine programs, problems and solutions of clinical applications of telemedicine, tele-education, distance learning, continuous medical education and telesurgery. Other topics to be addressed are telemedicine applications in the home health care environment, prisons, and trauma and disasters, as well as two live video telemedicine conferences from the US and Europe. Intended Audience All those who have interest in Telemedicine, Technology, Telehealth and state of the art medical practice and education: Doctors Nurses Hospital administrators Investors Other health stakeholders Medical school and university educators Medical, dental and nursing students IT experts and IT students   Learning Objectives Upon completion of this intensive seminar, participants will be able to: Know the current status of Telemedicine, Telehealth, and e-health. Examine how Telemedicine and Telehealth will improve healthcare and medical education in the Information Age. Identify the most important clinical applications of Telemedicine Identify and distinguish the proper language and glossary of Telemedicine and Telehealth. Describe how Information Technology may improve health care delivery. Describe the techniques to develop a new medical education curriculum, improve overall education with distance learning, in particular as it pertains to developing countries. Describe the newest development in Telemedicine and Telehealth technology. Identify the necessary techniques to create sustainable Telemedicine and Telehealth projects, and how to gain financial support.   SEMINAR DIRECTORS Rifat Latifi, MD Director of Telemedicine Project of Kosova Assist. Prof. of Surgery, VCU Health System, Richmond, Virginia, USA Mohd. Hishamuddin Harun, MD President and CEO Medical Online, Sdn.Bhd., Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia   CME CREDIT Participants will receive a certification of attendance from University of Prishtina, Kosova. SPECIAL EVENTS Exhibitions and Reception Video Teleconference from University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona and VCU, Richmond, Virginia, USA Video Teleconference with European Telemedicine Institute, France Dinner with Cultural Program. INDUSTRY PARTICIPATION There will be an industrial exhibition in the foyer of the meeting room. Companies and vendors will have excellent opportunities to present their products and services to the participants of the conference. For further information, please email Monica Lewis at MMHLewis@aol.com DATE October 25 - 27, 2002 VENUE Grand Hotel Prishtina, Mother Theresa, Prishtina, Kosova REGISTRATION To register, complete the registration form and return it by mail, e-mail or by fax to the perspective organizing committees.  The registration fee includes tuition, course syllabus, special social events, lunch and dinner.  Registration is limited to first 250 registered participants. Meeting check-in will be conducted from 1:00-3:00 PM on Friday, October 25, 2002, on the first floor of Grand Hotel Prishtina. On-site registration will be possible, only if space is available and with full payment. For further information, please contact: In Europe: (phone)+377 (0) 44 14 14 30; (fax)+ 381(0) 38 500 600 2558; (e-mail) info@ivhospital.org In USA: (phone) 1-804-304-5671; (fax) 804-827-0285; (e-mail) rlatifi@ivhospital.org FEES Kosovar participants: USD$150.00 International participants: USD$300.00 Free participation for medical residents and students Exhibitors : USD$50.00 per square meter CLOSING DATE All entries for registration must be received by October 10, 2002. CANCELLATION POLICY Registration fee, minus USD$50 administrative fee, will be refunded when written notification is received by October 18, 2002. LODGING ARRANGEMENTS Blocks of guestrooms have been reserved at special rates at the Grand Hotel Prishtina for USD$60 per night, including breakfast. You can make the reservation in advance at www.grandhotel-pr.com. Please mention that you are a participant of the seminar.   Telemedicine & Telehealth in the developing countries: "From Inception to Implementation. The future has begun.”   To Top Welcome Address from the Prime Minister of Kosova Ladies and gentlemen, guests and colleagues, It is a great pleasure for me as Prime Minister of Kosova to welcome you to Kosova at this international conference and to see so many of you from all over the world. We in Kosova are particularly excited about this event, because it is an attempt to bring Kosova among the rest of the countries in the world, especially in Europe through medical and technological developments. Kosova is in a period of transition, with great aspirations to be fully integrated technologically and otherwise with European and world trends. As such we are prepared to do our best to become part of this revolution that is changing the world around us so rapidly. Medicine and health care in Kosova is in poor condition, due to neglect, war and managerial issues of the past. There is a need for infusion of new ideas, new concepts, new technology, and significant investments as we strive, and have great aspirations to become part of the European and world medical family, and provide the best possible health care to our citizens. We hope that, as part of the title of this event suggests, the real future of medicine in Kosova has just begun. The development of telemedicine project and International Virtual e-Hospital concept is clearly an attempt and hope to integrate medical institutions in Kosova with medical institutions of the world. Most importantly it will integrate the process of education and practice at the Medical Faculty level and beyond, and will improve the continuing medical education process of doctors, nurses and other health care workers in Kosova. Furthermore, it will become a great tool and bridge for collaboration between doctors and nurses, narrowing the gap between developed countries and Kosova. Allow me to thank all of you participants and guests for being here, and in particular I would like to thank all the speakers that have come from as far as North and South America, Asia, the Middle East, and of course from many European countries, for their contribution to the education process of Kosovar doctors, medical students, nurses, and others. I would like to thank the organizing committee for organizing this wonderful and very important event here in Kosova under less than optimal conditions. Let me wish all of you a successful and fruitful seminar and pleasant time here in Kosova for the rest of the days while are you here, and I hope that this will not be last time that you will be with us. At this time, allow me to proclaim the First Balkan Telemedicine Seminar: “Telemedicine and Telehealth in Developing Countries: From Inception to Implementation. The Future has just begun”, open.   Good luck! Bajram Rexhepi, MD Prime Minister of Kosova   To Top Welcome Address of the Minister of Health of Kosova Dear friends, guests, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,   It is a great pleasure for me to welcome all of you here in Kosova at the First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar. This seminar is an important step for healthcare in Kosova, as it is an attempt to establish the foundations of advanced technological development of medical care in Kosova. This seminar is important for Kosovars as it is organized by the recently created Telemedicine Centre of Kosova. The creation and establishment of Telemedicine in Kosova will help us to modernize the medical care as we attempt to become part of the world in the field of medicine and science. As such, we at the Ministry of Health in Kosova, and all existing governmental organizations, have fully supported this project. As the result of careful planning and organization and involvement of all the mechanisms of medical and governmental agencies and other stakeholders in Kosova, the telemedicine group under the leadership of Dr. Rifat Latifi, have created a Telemedicine Centre, which will be an example not only for the Balkan countries but for other developing countries as well. This project that is being financed currently by the EU though European Agency for Reconstruction, has become an inspiration for many countries in the world that have aspired creating and developing a telemedicine and telehealth system. The creation of Telemedicine Center of Kosova is only the beginning of the implementation of the first phase of telemedicine project of Kosova. In the second phase we will connect all regional medical centers of Kosova, while in the third phase all health care houses and ambulances will become part of this virtual network of Telemedicine of Kosova and international virtual e-hospital. Naturally, we at the Ministry of Health are very proud with the rapid establishment of the Center and current achievement, and we will do every thing we can to support this and other projects that will change the current face of medicine in Kosova. Despite important successes achieved under extremely difficult conditions in the past three years, there is a great need of radical changes in the education process and professional preparation of doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers. Moreover, this seminar is very important for us, as it is being realized through very close collaboration of Kosovars with many institutions and individuals from countries from all over the world. The participation of more than 25 worldwide experts is the best testimony of this collaboration. Only in this way we can become part of the world, and again we will try to do everything we can to contribute and advance this cooperation. Please allow me to wish you a very successful Seminar for the next two and a half days, and let me assure you that this seminar is being watched very closely not only by the healthcare workers but by an entire community.   Numan Baliq, MD Minister of Health of Kosova   To Top Welcome Address from Principal International Officer Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health of Kosovo Telemedicine, A Natural Choice for Kosovo   Telemedicine seems like a natural direction for the future development of health care in Kosovo. Telemedicine is often considered a particularly useful tool to bring the benefits of modern medicine to everybody's reach in countries with long distances and vast, scarcely populated rural areas. In such countries, telemedicine can replace much more expensive solutions, such as building small, cost-inefficient hospitals. Yet, telemedicine can benefit also compact areas with high population density, particularly if there are clear geographic divides between regions. Kosovo is such an area. By placing the peripheral units in strategically right places, the system can be built with relatively low costs to serve a great number of potential beneficiaries. Besides geography, Kosovo's health care pattern bespeaks telemedicine. The Pristina University Hospital is a natural hub for the system and the five district hospitals equally natural satellite units. With time, the system can be extended to cover the main family health centres as well. The benefits are obvious and accrue to the health care system, the patients and the health professionals. From the health system point of view, an immediate result should be the reduction of the extremely high and unhealthy referral rate from the primary health care to the secondary level hospitals and from there to Pristina. A functioning telemedicine system will also facilitate the introduction of the hospital profiles foreseen in the Health Policy for Kosovo. Those hospitals lacking a specialist service, e.g., ophthalmology, can get high-level diagnostic support to decide whether a patient should be treated in the hospital where he or she is or whether a referral is needed. Telemedicine will also enable the Ministry of Health to develop a more rational and cost-efficient policy for the procurement and placement of diagnostic and therapeutic equipment. The patients will be the main beneficiaries. They will get better services. The technical quality of the services will be higher and their use will be simpler as the patients don't need to travel or queue to obtain them. Also the health professionals will gain. They will have an easy access to higher levels of care to consult their colleagues. The confidence of their patients in, and satisfaction with, their doctors and nurses and with the care provided at lower levels will increase as they can immediately see the improved quality and efficiency of primary and secondary care. Finally, the system will serve continuing professional education and the goal of “life-long learning” that every health professional should adopt for their professional self-improvement. They can easily establish international contacts through the internet and access up-to-date sources of information. The Ministry of Health has been very impressed by the speed with which the Kosovo Telemedicine Centre has been established and with the dedication of its staff to the development of this new and exciting but also challenging field. The Ministry should like to use this opportunity to thank the European Agency for Reconstruction whose generous support has made possible this development that, the Ministry believes, will serve as a model for the entire Region.   Hannu Vuori, M.D., Ph.D., M.A. Principal International Officer Acting Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health   To Top Welcome Address from the Rector of University of Prishtina Ladies and Gentlemen, friends, and colleagues   It gives me great pleasure to welcome you at the First Balkan Telemedicine Seminar: “Telemedicine and Telehealth in Developing Countries: From Inception to Implementation. The Future has just begun ”.  This seminar is organized by the Telemedicine Centre of Kosova and International Virtual e-Hospital network, at a time when the University of Prishtina is undergoing significant reforms in the educational and organizational process as we attempt to join the family of European and American Universities in our quest to rapidly narrow the developmental gap between our University and the rest of the world, that was imposed upon our University for the past decades. It is impossible for us financially, and logistically to send all of our students and professors for CME and other scientific conferences abroad. As we develop our telemedicine center and its educational programs we will integrate the activities of the center into the educational process of the University, not only in the medical field, but also in other fields as well. With technological collaboration and the integration of our University with Institutions around the globe, the University of Prishtina will clearly be at much better position to be integrated with the scientific and technological development in the world. The students and teachers of our University will participate not only as eager importers of knowledge, but also as exporters of our experience and become equal partners in the world of science and education. I would like to say a special thank you to Dr. Rifat Latifi and Dr. Shaip Muja for their dedication and hard work on this project. Dr. Latifi's vision has allowed us to conceptualize what before could never have been imagined. His dedication and contribution to the project have been steadfast from the inception to the implementation of his idea. Dr. Muja's relentless determination, resolve and hard work have made it possible for us all to be here today to collaborate and work together towards the goal of telemedicine in Kosova. We hope and have great anticipation that you will have a very successful seminar, and furthermore that this intensive seminar will contribute greatly to the establishment of close relationships between individuals and institutions of all these countries present here today, and as we explore new ways of collaboration, and all of us join together in this virtual network.   Zejnel Kelmendi, MD Rector of University of Prishtina   To Top Welcome Address of Dean of Medical Faculty of University of Prishtina, Kosova Dear Colleague, friends, lady and gentleman,   On behalf of students, professors and other health care workers of Medical Faculty of University of Prishtina, I would like to welcome you here, in our city of hope and change, and to wish you the best during this Telemedicine seminar, that has raised significant hopes for prosperity and future of our technological development not only for Medical faculty, but for entire medical system of Kosova. We foresee the benefits of Telemedicine in different directions, but most importantly the Medical Faculty with its dentistry and pharmacy branches, will be in the position to be integrated in, and collaborate with the rest of Balkan, European, as well as American, and Asian and other Medical Schools.  Most importantly, we see this technology as the venue to modernize the clinical educational process of our students, and transform all lectures, journals, and medical books in the electronic form. This way we will teach our students evidence based medicine, and not from the yellow note pads from the past, and this information will be accessible for the students and others from any place that they have access to web site. Because we had a horrifying period when our students and University teachers where away from school and libraries, it is absolutely necessary to adapt advanced technological methods and techniques to catch up with the rest of the world. Thus, we will adapt the modern techniques of teaching and learning by using electronical blackboard, as the way to be integrated in the new standards of teaching and learning. I am great full to the leadership of our Telemedicine group, for their devotion and hard work that they have demonstrated so far. In addition I thank all visiting professors and other experts, especially I thank Dr. Ronald Merrell, for his help and many visits to Kosova, and our Medical School.  The realization of this project should be an example for other initiatives that need to be developed in Kosova and an example how to integrate our alumni of our Faculty and University irrespective where do they live and practice any where in the world. We hope that this Seminar will become a tradition in the Balkan, and that we will continue to see great evolution of Telemedicine not only in Kosova but the entire Balkan countries, as we develop new means of real functional collaboration.   Riza Binishi, MD Dean Medical Faculty   To Top Welcome Address of Chairman of Local Organizing Committee Ladies and Gentlemen, my dear friends, guest and colleagues,   On behalf of the local organizing committee of the First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar and the Telemedicine Center of Kosova welcome to Prishtina and Kosova. When we took upon to organize this international seminar, we thought that this will be the best way to introduce to you, our newly created, Telemedicine Center of Kosova, and its programs, that are a product of enormous work, dedication, and sacrifices. As our chairman gave details, ever since the idea for creation of Telemedicine Project of Kosova was conceived and introduced, it was clear to us that we had ahead of us a long road, but fulfilling and exciting and yes, totally new field for most of us here in Kosova. We have overcome many obstacles during these past two years, and finally now as a result of careful planning and close collaboration with many international and local Kosovar individuals and institutions, we are almost there. We are in the first phase of building the human and technical capacity, while simultaneously creating and establishing new relationships with individuals, and institutions from around the world. As alluded by other speakers, we have a long way to go, but we will get there, since we are dedicated, willing to do what ever we need to overcome obstacles and deficiencies in our path. Together, with all pertinent institutions and healthcare stakeholders of medical care in Kosova, we will work, not only in full realization of the telemedicine project, as out lined but, also in establishing of educational programs that fundamentally will change our way of educating students, doctors, nurses and other health care workers. While under very difficult conditions, for the last two years, the Telemedicine Center of Kosova and International Virtual e-Hospital has become part of world telemedicine vocabulary and has been presented in, and fully accepted and endorsed by, the International telemedicine meetings through out the world, thanks to tireless efforts of Rifat Latifi, MD. This seminar, although modest, we hope it will pave the tradition and the future of Telemedicine in Kosova and in the Balkan, as we attempt to elevate the medical care and medical education, to a new level, that is closer to standards of the world, and to create meaningful collaborations in the Balkan and in the world. We are very happy to report that this Seminar is fully endorsed by most important and largest telemedicine organizations of the world, such as American Telemedicine Association, International Society for telemedicine, European Telemedicine Society and European Health Telematics Association. This massive endorsement of our seminar is a direct result of having who's who in the world of telemedicine and telehealth here in Prishtina, and a great need to establish a conference like this in the Balkan. I would like to thank all our outstanding speakers who had traveled from all over the world, to come here and be part of this historical event, in our quest for development and advancement of medical care and education process, and to be one of the first telemedicine teachers in Kosova. I hope that for the next two and half days we will learn a lot from you, get to know each other much better and will create bridges for the future collaboration.   Shaip Muja, MD Executive Director of Telemedicine Center of Kosova Chairman Local Organizing Committee   To Top Welcome Address from the Chairman of Organizing Committee and Director of Telemedicine Project of Kosova Ladies and Gentlemen, my dear friends, guest and colleagues,   It is my greatest pleasure to welcome you to Prishtina, Kosova, at the First Balkan Telemedicine Seminar: Telemedicine and Telehealth in Developing Countries: From Inception to Implementation. The future has just begun”. We have gathered here today to celebrate the realization of one dream that was born in Berlin, May 5, 2000. That day, at Berlin parliament building at final Conference of G8 in Berlin, on May 5, 2000, on Global Health Application Project (GHAP) I told the world that we had a dream to build International Virtual e-Hospital Network of Kosova, and to connect the medical system of Kosova with the rest of the world. That day, this dream became a promise to Kosova and to my former classmate, colleague and a dear friend Dr. Lec Leci Gradica, who was killed while treating sick and wounded patients. Today, 904 days later, and more 100 thousand kilometers of traveling around the world from Richmond to Berlin, Montreal, Lille, Paris, London, Cairo, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, Upsala, Graz, Phoenix, Ft Lauderdale, Regensburg, and almost monthly trips to Prishtina, after meeting with so many friends all over the world and talking to who ever was polite enough to listen, after sleepless nights and long days away from family, friends, and my patients, we have gathered here to launch and celebrate this unique moment in the history of Kosova's and the Balkan health care. We are building one of the best Telemedicine Centers in the world, and International Virtual e-Hospital Network of Kosova, a unique approach to international collaboration and partnership to care for the sick and injured. We should look around at each other and every one else here in this room, and say that there are no dreams that cannot be realized as long as you persevere, work really hard at it, you are sincere, have passion, and have a bit of luck. Just look around you, and see who is here. Look at the number of flags in the vase and you will see how many countries are represented here. They are speakers, the best that the world can offer today, or they are students, the thirstiest one for knowledge and ready to become part of medical information age revolution, and technological development, but what will they do here for the next two and a half days is actually irrelevant. Most important is the fact that we all will be together, learn from each other and exchange information and experiences. We Kosovars have tremendous task ahead of us. We need to rebuild the country and change the mind set. Only this way we will make use of our freedom and make the best out of it: become part of the world revolution in technology, knowledge and information age. I would like to call especially on Kosovars who live abroad to insist and strive to become ambassadors of Kosova and work hard to bring the experience, knowledge, change, and international collaboration in science and technology in Kosova, which will help create economical and political stability. While, this may seem to represent an enormous task, it is very simple and totally doable. We will become and integral part of the revolution of information age, because we have the human capacity, we have the potential and most important, we have the willingness to learn and stamina to work hard and unsurpassable will to make our dreams become a truth. We have demonstrated that. The rest of it is piece a cake. At this moment I can report to all of you that we are about to open the Telemedicine Center of Kosova (TCK), which should be in function, before the year is over, and creating the foundations of International Virtual e-Hospital. In addition, we have created an excellent team that is lead here locally by Dr. Shaip Muja, and have established collaboration with outstanding and world-renowned institutions around the world. Our mission is to expand this network of people and institutions. They're so many people who helped us through out these two years to establish the TCK and although I would like to mention and thank all of them, it would be impossible for me to do so. On the personal note, I have been so lucky through out my life because I met so many people who helped me and in one or the other way had given me a chance to prosper and realize my full intellectual potential in life. Most importantly, I was blessed to be raised by two great people who taught me honesty, perseverance, and hard work and, instead of toys they insisted I read books, although neither one of them was fortunate to go to school for themselves. I am extremely fortunate to have a great family who stood by me all the time even when the goals and inspirations seemed to be so unreachable and so distant. Without Drita's support and sacrifice as she has raised all four of our children, almost entirely by her self, this project would not have happen. I owe a great gratitude and thanks to my (now) former boss, mentor and a great friend of mine, and Kosova, Dr. Ronald C. Merrell, who helped and supported me in the realization of this dream, through out this long ordeal. I was fortunate to work with a great team of surgeons and very close friends, under the leadership of Rao Ivatury, MD, at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, who understood and allowed me to create my own schedule in order to travel around the world any time I had to, as we were building the coalition of international partners for this project. I was lucky to be asked by Dr. Michael Nerlich, from University of Regensburg to talk in Berlin and to explain to the world the Anatomy of Destruction and War in Kosova in simple human terms. This gave me the chance to tell the world what we thought we Kosovars need. The rest of it is history. I was so lucky to meet friends like Matthias Reinicke, MD who shared and believed in my dream, showed great vision for the future of Kosova and who is the man in charge from EAR that is financing the project of Telemedicine in Kosova. I grateful to Drs. Pleurat Sejdiu, former Minister of health and Hanu Vuori who understood the potential of this project for Kosova and supported us during some intensive and critical times in Kosova. I need to thank lots of individuals and organization and who have had helped us. While individual help is very important, organizational help has been so good to me personally and to our project. Kosova Protection Corps have been my best supporter and Dr. Shaip Muja, now Executive Director of TCK, with his enthusiasm, hard work, eagerness to learn all nuances of Telemedicine and smile, often served to me as inspiration to continue, thousand of kilometers away from Prishtina. I would like to thank all of you for being here today, especially the outstanding speakers, for their support. But let express special thanks to the organizing Committee in Prishtina, for superb work in a very short time. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.  We decided to have this seminar here in Prishtina to set the example for the rest of developing countries, and let them know that they can do it too. I hope we succeed!   Rifat Latifi, MD Chairman of Organizing Committee Director Telemedicine Project of Kosova   To Top Day 1 October 25, 2002 Grand Hotel, Prishtina 8:00AM Visit to Historical Places. 1:00PM - 3:00PM Registration at First Floor, Grand Hotel Prishtina. 3:00PM - 4:30PM Opening Ceremony at Grand Hotel Prishtina. 4:30PM Health Break Plenary Session Moderators: Rifat Latifi and Ricky Richardson 4:45PM Changing medical world order : The future has only begun. Ronald C. Merrell 5:30PM E-leadership in digital age: Disturbing the equilibrium, breaking the rules, changing the codes and narrowing the digital gap. Hishamuddin Harun 5:15PM Cocktail and Reception To Top   Day 2 October 26, 2002 Grand Hotel, Prishtina 7:30AM Registration Morning Session Moderators: Ronald C. Merrell and Edgar Rodas 8:00AM Technological Revolution: Transforming healthcare in Europe through Telehealth and Telemedicine. Ricky Richardson 8:50AM Requirements for Successful Telemedicine Programs. Mark VanderWerf 9:30AM Telehealth: The backbone of cost-effective healthcare financing. Abu Bakar Suleiman 10:00AM Health Break Moderators: Mark VanderWerf and Leo Vollebergt 10:15AM Integrated Telehealth: Putting it all together and addressing the challenges. Hishamuddin Harun 10:45AM Telemedicine in developing countries: How to start programs and succeed? Where is the money and how to get it? Leo P. Vollebregt 11:10AM Telemedicine and Telehealth in Saudi Arabia.  The Health Gulf experience. Abdulrahman Al Nuaim 11:30AM Telemedicine in India. K. Ganapathy Special Guest Luncheon Lecture 12:00PM Telemedicine in extreme conditions: Bring down that wall, sir! Edgar Rodas Afternoon Session Moderators: Hishamuddin Harun and Ricky Richardson 1:00PM Dialog Vision project. Connecting Mediterranean countries and more Andre Morin and Aly Chehata 1:30PM Virtual doctor and virtual nurse: Only the patient is real. Ricky Richardson 2:00PM Use of information technology to improve quality in healthcare. Rifat Latifi 2:30PM Practical Demonstration of multipoint transmission (Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy from Prishtina University Clinical Centre) 3:00PM Emory University application in electronic medical records and telemedicine. Omar Lattouf (Video Teleconference from Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA ) 3:20PM French Speaking Language Virtual Medical University (FLVMU): Towards a virtual school of medical teaching Andre Morin 15:10 - 15:25 Health Break Moderators: Michael Nerlich and Edward Khor 4:00PM Technologies of the trade: fixed lines, internet and wireless technology. Edward Khor 4:30PM Telehealth : A spectrum of applications Medical Online Sdn. Bhd. 5:15PM New technology and new solutions: Industrial introduction series Leo P. Vollebregt 6:00PM Design and Implementation of Telemedicine in Third World Countries. Ronald S. Weinstein (Video Teleconference from University of Arizona, Tucson Arizona, USA ) 7:00PM Dinner To Top   Day 3 October 27, 2002 Grand Hotel, Prishtina 7:30AM Registration Morning Session Moderators: Ronald C. Merrell and Selman Uranues 8:00AM Education and distance learning: Changing the trends. Ronald C. Merrell 8:40AM Telemedicine in trauma and disasters. From war to earthquake. Are we ready? Michael Nerlich 9:15AM Continuous Medical Education in the Information Age. Joanna Ortoli 9:45AM Virtual academy for medical education scholars. David Salter 10:30AM Health Break Moderators: Joanna Ortoli and Shaip Muja 11:00AM Using new tools to create new databases. Evidence based medicine: The contribution of telemedicine. Chuck Doarn 11:30AM Surgical training of the future : From simulators to patients. Selman Uranues Special Guest Luncheon Lecture 12:00PM - 1:00PM Telemedicine Today and Tomorrow. Mark VanderWerf Afternoon Session Moderators: Abu Bakar Suleiman and David Salter 1:00PM Clinical application of Telemedicine and Telehealth Rifat Latifi 1:30PM Mobile Surgery. Edgar Rodas A 2:00PM Telemedicine in neurosurgical sciences. K. Ganapathy 2:20PM Experiences and perspectives in using telematic prevention on sensitive health issues. Teuvo Peltonimi 2:45PM Telemedicine in American prison system. David Salter 3:05PM Health Break Moderators: Edgar Rodas and Matthias Reinicke 3:20PM Transforming primary care and empowering consumers through telehealth. Jai Mohan 3:40PM Rehabilitating health systems in countries in transition from within. Matthias Reinicke 4:00PM From black board to white board. Classroom in the bedroom or bedroom in the classroom.  The old style of education is dead. Selman Uranues 4:30PM Closing remarks: Lessons learned during the past 3 days. Rifat Latifi 6:00PM Reception 6:30PM Special Awards and Diplomas 7:00PM Dinner and Cultural Program To Top   ORGANIZING COMMITTEE Rifat Latifi, MD., Chairman Mohd. Hishamuddin Harun, MD. Barbara Rowe, MBA.   To top   INTERNATIONAL FACULTY Abdulrahman Al Nuaim, MD (nuaim@kfshrc.edu.sa) Professor of Medicine Consultant Endocrinologist/Diabetologist Chief Operating Officer King Faisal Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Abu Bakar Suleiman, MD (abakars@imu.edu.my) President, International Medical University, Malaysia Chief Advisor, AIH Group (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Aly Chehata, MD Dialod Vision Tunisia Andre Morin (aspmorin@noos.Fr) Dialog Vision Paris, France Charles R. Doarn, MBA (crdoarn@hsc.vcu.edu) Executive Director, MITAC, NASA Commercial Space Center Department of Surgery Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA, USA David Salter, MD (drsalter@vcu.edu) Associate Professor of Surgery Virginia Commonwealth University, Department of Surgery, Richmond, VA, USA Edgar Rodas A, MD (erodasand@hotmail.com) President and CEO Cineterandes Former Minister of Health of Ecuador, Cuenca, Ecuador Mr. Edward Khor (edward@medical-online.net) Head, Strategic Marketing Medical Online Sdn. Bhd. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Jai Mohan, MD (jmohan@medical-online.net) Content Director Medical Online Sdn. Bhd. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Joanna Ortoli, MD (jortoli@escardio.org) European Society of Cardiology European Board for Accreditation in Cardiology Nice, France K. Ganapathy, MD (kganap@vsnl.com) Neurosurgeon and Director Telemedicine, Apollo Hospitals, Madras, India Secretary, Neurological Society of India Secretary General Asian Australasian Society of Neurological Surgery Leo P. Vollebregt , M. Sc  (leo@health-consultants-network.com) CEO HCON Innovators in e-Health* Amsterdam, Holland Louis Lareng, MD. (LARENG.L@chu-toulouse.fr) President European Telemedicine Society Tolouse, France Mr. Mark VanderWerf (markv@amdtelemedicine.com) President AMD Telemedicine, Inc. Lowell, MA, U.S.A. Matthias Reinicke, MD (matthias.reinicke@ear.eu.int)European Agency for Reconstruction Prishtina, Kosovo Michael Nerlich, MD. (michael.nerlich@klinik.uni-regensburg.de) President of ISfT Head of the Department of Trauma Surgery University of Regensburg Medical Center Regensburg, Germany Mohd Hishamuddin Harun, MD (mhisham@medical-online.net) President and CEO Medical Online Sdn. Bhd. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Omar M. Lattouf, MD, PhD (olattouf@hotmail.com)Cardiac Surgery The Emory Clinic Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA Ricky Richardson, MD (RCUK@btinternet.com) Chairman - UK Telemedicine Association Chairman - Thematic Working Group (2) European Health Telematics Association Chairman - Richardson Consulting (UK) Limited United Kingdom Rifat Latifi, MD (rlatifi@ivhospital.org) Director Telemedicine Project of Kosova Department of Surgery Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Richmond, VA, USA Ronald C. Merrell, MD (Ronald.Merrell@vcu.edu) Director, MITAC, NASA Commercial Space Center Stuart McGuire Professor and Chair Department of Surgery Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA, USA Ronald S. Weinstein, MD (ronaldw@u.arizona.edu) President of American Telemedicine Association Director Arizona Telemedicine Program Arizona Health Sciences Center 1501 N. Campbell Avenue Tucson, AZ 85724-5043 Selman Uranues, MD (selman.uranues@kfunigraz.ac.at) Professor, Department of Surgery Graz University, Graz, Austria Teuvo Peltoniemi, Lic. Soc. Sc. (teuvo.peltoniemi@a-klinikka.fi) Head of Information Department, A-Clinic Foundation President, Prevnet Network Helsinki, Finland     To Top     LOCAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEE Shaip Muja, MD., Chairman Ing. Naim Rrustemi Monica Lewis Shkelzen Syla, MD. Flamur Bekteshihi Memli Krasniqi Merita Berani, DDS. Hava Latifi, ECC. Xhevdet Tahiri, MD. Genc Shala To Top   SPONSORS   To Top   First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 01 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 02 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 03 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 04 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 05 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 06 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 07 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 08 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 09 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 10 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 11 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 12 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 13 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 14 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 15 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 16 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 17 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 18 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 19 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 20 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 21 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 22 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 23 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 24 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 25 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 26 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 27 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 28 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 29 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 30 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 31 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 32 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 33 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 34 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 35 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 36 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 37 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 38 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 39 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 40 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 41 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 42 First Intensive Balkan Telemedicine Seminar,October 25-27, 2002 - Prishtina, Kosova 43 To Top