A Success Model: Marquette General Health System

Abstract

The Marquette General Health System (MGHS) initiated its telehealth program in 1995 with eight network sites in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. There are currently almost 30 active sites in this network that provide clinical, educational, and administrative services. In this article, MGHS is assessed against four criteria, namely, integration, evaluation, expansion, and acceptance. Several assessment data collection strategies were employed among patients, providers, administrators, and rural community members. This paper delineates the extent to which the MGHS program meets the definition of success as defined by this four-level model. Data and anecdotal evidence are presented that illustrate that the MGHS program has been successful in its attempt to increase access to medical services for the rural population of the Michigan Upper Peninsula, as well as facilitate medical and health education, and home care services.