FCC’s 2nd COVID Telehealth Awards

FCC https://www.fcc.gov has approved an initial set of 62 applications for funding commitments totaling $41.98 million for Round 2 of their COVID-19 Telehealth Program.

According to FCC Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, “Round 2, factors in the hardest hit and lowest income areas, Tribal communities, and previously unfunded states and territories.”

Round 2 is a $249.95 million federal initiative that builds on the $200 million program established as part of the CARES Act. Now that funding has been committed to the highest scoring applications, the next funding awards will commit funding to the highest scoring applications regardless of geography until at least $150 million has been committed.

Funding was awarded to provide equipment including telemedicine carts/kiosks, computers, laptops, cameras, monitors, mobile devices, smart TVs, upgrades for the COVID-19, hotline to virtual urgent care, Bluetooth-enabled medical devices, specialty connected devices, and funds to use to secure internal connectivity and network security.

Some of the awarded funds will provide:

  • Treatments to patients hospitals in rural and underserved areas in Arkansas
  • Funds to support virtual meetings to benefit home bound patients in Kentucky
  • Funds to provide patient monitoring devices to help patients at home, in South Central N.Y where many residents are located within high poverty, rural, and underserved areas,
  • Funds to help vulnerable populations been affected by the pandemic such as high risk Medicaid and Medicare patients in Oklahoma

 

A few of the awards listed include:

  • $1,000,000 to Mercy Health System in Rockford Illinois to purchase devices that will enable audio/video interaction between providers and patients during the pandemic
  • $1,000,000 to St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford Massachusetts as part of the Southcoast Health System to purchase laptops, mobile devices, and RPM equipment to expand the hospital’s telehealth capabilities and provide quality care to patients at home
  • $1,000,000 MCR Health, Inc. in Palmetto Florida to purchase equipment to enhance the provision of telehealth services during the pandemic
  • $999,910 to Allegheny Health Network in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to deploy and support telehealth connected devices to help patients in medically underserved communities
  • $999,565 to Peak Vista Community Health Centers, a FQHC operating 28 facilities in rural and urban areas in Colorado. The funding will be used to purchase devices to provide medical and behavioral health care via telemedicine to patients who may face significant barriers to care.

 

Go to https://fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-375244A1-pdf for more information on the awards.

Go to https://www.usac.org/about/covid-19-telehealth-program, for additional information on the FCC’s COVID-19 Telehealth program.