A video of the two award-winning doctors.

A doctor who developed a telemedicine network in Alabama and a doctor who established a primary care registry system in Minnesota both won a 2015 HIV Practice Award from the American Academy of HIV Medicine (AAHIVM) and the Institute for Technology in Health Care, according to an AAHIVM statement.

The two $10,000 awards recognize innovative use of technology in an HIV health care field.

One award went to Prashanth Bhat, MD, of Medical AIDS Outreach of Alabama, Inc. He developed a telemedicine system that uses video screens, high-speed Internet and Bluetooth medical technology that allows urban HIV doctors to provide real-time care for rural patients. This is especially important in a rural state like Alabama, where many people are unable to travel long distances to see a care provider.

Mark Sannes, MD, of the Park Nicollet Infectious Disease Clinic in Minnesota, won the second award. He and his team realized that they served as the primary care physician for about 75 percent of the over 800 HIV-positive patients they see each year. To improve the primary care of these people, the team built an HIV registry within the clinic’s medical records system to track federal performance measure and HIV-related health measures.