How does an organization sustain a telemedicine program? What are the strategies a telemedicine pilot program can pursue on the path to sustainability? In 2017-2018, the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission funded four telemedicine pilot programs for 12-month implementation periods. Each pilot focused on expanding access to behavioral health for a target population with unmet care needs: children and adolescents, individuals with opioid use disorder, and older adults aging in place. The four pilot programs deployed distinct telebehavioral health programs, approached sustainability differently and had varied success in sustaining the programs.

This session will describe the pilot programs, their experiences sustaining their work after HPC funding ended, and key lessons to inform other telehealth programs that are interested in developing sustainability models. Opportunities to sustain through revenue, policy change, and further grant funding will be discussed as well as the challenges programs faced in sustaining services.