Janet Major Elected U.S. Distance Learning Association President
A vital contributor to the Arizona Telemedicine Program at the University of Arizona for more than 20 years, Major trains health-care professionals in the effective use of videoconferencing and also plans, develops and installs the teleconferencing and te
Janet Major receiving the 2019 USDLA 21st Century Excellence in Distance Learning Award for Telehealth from outgoing USDLA President Pat Cassella.
Janet Major, associate director for education and facilities at the Arizona Telemedicine Program, based at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson, has been elected president of the United States Distance Learning Association.
She was honored at the USDLA national conference May 23 in Nashville, Tenn.
“This is a huge and unexpected honor for me,” Major told her colleagues at the conference. “I am grateful to all of you who believe in my ability to take this on. And working together, I’m sure we will do a lot of great things.”
“Janet’s position as president of the USDLA is a tribute to her extraordinary talents in the distance learning arena. We all benefit from her expertise and her national provenance in our field,” said Ronald S. Weinstein, MD, founding director of the Arizona Telemedicine Program.
Major joined the Arizona Telemedicine Program in 1997. Her current responsibilities include the planning, development and installation of the teleconferencing and telemedicine equipment used at rural telemedicine sites. She also trains health-care professionals in the effective use of videoconferencing for both clinical and educational applications.
The U.S. Distance Learning Association also honored the Arizona Telemedicine Program and its subsidiary, the Southwest Telehealth Resource Center, with the association’s 21st Century Distance Learning Award for its leadership in distance education. Major also is in charge of distance learning outreach for the Southwest Telehealth Resource Center.
Reggie Smith, III, USDLA executive director, told the conference attendees, “As the premier organization for the entire distance-learning profession, USDLA enjoys honoring leaders within the industry. Each year, these recognized leaders raise the bar and exceed best-practice expectations for the industry as a whole.”
Founded in 1987 and based in Boston, the non-profit U.S. Distance Learning Association reaches out to 20,000 people globally. Before telemedicine was well-known and booming, the association housed a program now known as the American Telemedicine Association, which provides access to health care for people living in remote and rural areas across the United States.
About the Arizona Telemedicine Program
The Arizona Telemedicine Program (ATP), an industry leader in telehealth, was established in 1996 by the Arizona State Legislature to provide accessible, top-quality health care to rural Arizonans. Based at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson, ATP strongly supports the growth of telemedicine throughout Arizona and provides a suite of services to its member organizations, including clinical, administrative and information technology (IT) support, telemedicine training, facility design and continuing medical education (CME). More than 60 clinical subspecialty services have been provided through the network, amounting to more than 1.3 million telemedicine cases. ATP is the headquarters for the federally funded Southwest Telehealth Resource Center, which serves Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. ATP has received many national awards for its innovative patient services, distance education and telehealth training programs. For more information: telemedicine.arizona.edu