St. Elizabeth Healthcare was awarded nearly $950,000 from the Federal Communications Commission to enhance telehealth offerings.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual doctor visits became important for patients to access their doctors.
The FCC announced the award as part of the latest 100 organizations to receive nearly $48 million through its COVID-19 Telehealth Program.
St. Elizabeth is expected to use the funds to purchase remote patient monitoring devices, video conferencing subscriptions, telehealth kiosks, and internet connectivity installation to support a team of virtual health care providers, which will increase primary, pediatric, specialty, and internal medicine care as well as support a 24-hour nurse triage line.
“The pandemic has forced us to think differently about how to deliver health care services and the FCC has risen to the challenge through a number of telehealth programs, including our COVID-19 Telehealth Program,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “From offering remote behavioral health services in Decatur, Illinois to supporting the underinsured and those living below the poverty line in Dade City, Florida, the health care providers announced today offer just a snapshot of the breadth of connected health care services this program has helped support in the past year. I want to commend the work of our team in the Wireline Competition Bureau for their dedication to this program that has made such an impact on our nation’s doctors, nurses, and their patients.”
The funding comes form the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, adopted by Congress in 2020.
-Staff report
