The American Telemedicine Association is the leading resource and advocate promoting access to medical care for consumers and health professionals via telecommunications technology. ATA seeks to bring together diverse groups from traditional medicine, academic medical centers, technology and telecommunications companies, e-health, medical societies, government and others to overcome barriers to the advancement of telemedicine through the professional, ethical and equitable improvement in health care delivery.

Established in 1993 as a non-profit organization and headquartered in Washington, DC, membership in the Association is open to individuals, companies and other organizations with an interest in promoting the deployment of telemedicine throughout the world.

The Association implements these objectives by:

• Educating government about telemedicine as an essential component in the delivery of modern medical care.
• Serving as a clearinghouse for telemedical information and services.
• Fostering networking and collaboration among interests in medicine and technology.
• Promoting research and education including the sponsorship of scientific educational meetings and theTelemedicine and e-Health Journal.
• Spearheading the development of appropriate clinical and industry policies and standards.

ATA is governed by a Board of Directors elected by the Association's membership. ATA's national headquarters are located:

American Telemedicine Association 1100 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 540 Washington, DC 20036 Phone: 202.223.3333 Fax: 202.223.2787 E-mail: info@americantelemed.org

In accordance with the mission of the organization, ATA provides a broad range of services for its members and the industry as a whole.

• ATA Annual Meeting - the world's largest scientific meeting and exposition focusing exclusively on telemedicine, with hundreds of presentations, posters and workshops.
• ATA Industry Council Strategic Business Series - a focused event developed for ATA's Corporate Members to examine telemedicine market opportunities and issues.
• On-line Member News Updates - direct, exclusive news briefs via email about the latest event and activities affecting telemedicine professionals.
• ATA Website - a widely-used resource for telemedicine news and information.
• ATA Online Membership Directory - the single source of who's who in telemedicine.
• Telemedicine and e-Health Journal - a quarterly, peer-reviewed publication encompassing all aspects of clinical telemedicine practice; technical advances and enabling technologies; continuing medical education; and the impact of telemedicine on the quality, cost-effectiveness, and access to health care.
• Special Interest Groups (SIG's) & Chapters- allow members to address issues related to the advancement and application of telemedicine regarding specific areas including home telehealth, ocular telehealth, technology, teledermatology, telemental health, telenursing, telepathology, and telerehabilitation.