LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The Federal Communications Commission approved funds today for four Los Angeles-area health care programs to provide telehealth services during the coronavirus pandemic.
Since the adoption of the COVID-19 Telehealth Program, the FCC “has acted quickly to review applications and approve funding so that more patients can be treated safely at home,'' FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said. He added that the nationwide program -- authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act -- is focused on mental as well as physical health.
“More than 100 mental and behavioral health care providers have been awarded funding to ensure that their patients receive the treatment and support they need during the pandemic,'' Pai said. “We will continue processing applications as quickly as we can in order to promote worthy telehealth projects across the country.''
Below is a list of Los Angeles-area health care providers that were approved for funding:
-- Asian Pacific Health Care Venture, awarded $295,215 for telemedicine carts, desktop computers, tablets, remote monitoring equipment, videoconferencing software licenses, and network upgrades to allow care to be provided for the entire patient population virtually, including high-risk and vulnerable patients in chronic care management services who are vulnerable to COVID-19;
-- The Los Angeles Free Clinic, awarded $260,959 for laptop computers, video monitors, telehealth equipment, and remote monitoring devices to provide self-monitoring devices for uninsured patients to use at home to monitor chronic conditions, such as uncontrolled hypertension and/or diabetes, and to report readings to their provider through video or phone consultations;
-- T.H.E. (To Help Everyone) Clinic, awarded $80,894 for computers, telehealth equipment, and software licenses to provide behavioral health and patient education individually and in groups using remote telehealth; and
-- Valley Presbyterian Hospital, awarded $381,642 for a virtual care platform and network upgrades to consult and treat COVID-19 positive or suspect patients who are under isolation precautions without entering the patient room, to enhance the tele-intensive care unit program, and to bolster the internal network and provide WiFi to accommodate outdoor testing and screening stations at the Van Nuys hospital.
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