Tracey Haas

As many Wyoming residents know, accessing healthcare often requires far more than simply scheduling  an appointment. It frequently means taking time away from work, arranging childcare, navigating hazardous winter roads, or driving hours to consult with a specialist. 

While Wyoming’s frontier landscape defines the unique character of our state, the geographical barriers  to medical access remain a constant challenge. Fortunately, how and where our residents connect with  essential care is evolving. 

Recognizing this progress, Gov. Mark Gordon has proclaimed Sept. 20-26, as Wyoming’s sixth annual Telehealth Awareness Week. 

Telehealth has become an essential pillar of Wyoming’s healthcare infrastructure. It bridges vast distances  to preserve continuity of care and brings specialized expertise directly into local communities. Yet the  true value of telehealth extends beyond the digital medium itself — it lies in what virtual care enables. 

Through telehealth, rural primary care clinicians collaborate seamlessly with remote colleagues while  enabling patients to connect with specialists without sacrificing an entire day to travel. Virtual options ensure continuous care when weather, mobility, or distance would otherwise present insurmountable obstacles. Crucially, virtual tools reinforce — rather than replace — the trusted relationships already established between local physicians and their patients. 

Building on this momentum, Wyoming is preparing to launch a statewide tele-specialty platform  supported by Rural Health Transformation funding. This strategic initiative will allow primary care practices to consult with and refer to Wyoming specialists with unprecedented ease, ensuring expertise is integrated directly into local care plans. 

Realizing the full potential of these advances requires thoughtful coordination across hospitals, clinics, state agencies, policymakers, and community leadership. This spirit of collaboration drives the Wyoming  Telehealth Consortium. By convening stakeholders statewide, the Consortium addresses systemic  barriers, shares best practices, and helps shape healthcare policy. Complementing this work, the Wyoming Telehealth Network offers clinicians and medical organizations direct access to technical assistance, training, and operational resources. 

As we mark Telehealth Awareness Week, we celebrate our collective progress while keeping a firm focus  on the work ahead. Success must not be measured by digital adoption alone, but by whether these solutions expand clinical access and empower our existing healthcare workforce. 

Wyoming’s geography will always pose logistical challenges, but distance should never dictate the quality of care a resident receives. I encourage clinicians, health leaders, and community members across the state to explore Wyoming’s telehealth resources and help shape the next chapter of rural medicine. 

Tracey Haas, DO, MPH, is the Wyoming Medicaid Medical Director and Chair of the Wyoming  Telehealth Consortium.