FCC Unveils 14 Initial Projects Selected for $100M Connected Care Pilot Program
FCC announces initial 14 pilot project selected for $100M Connected Care Pilot Program that will support connected care service across the country and focus on low-income and veteran patients.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today announced an initial set of 14 pilot projects with over 150 treatment sites in 11 states that have been selected for the Connected Care Pilot Program. A total of $26.6 million will be awarded to these applicants for proposed projects to treat nearly half a million patients in both urban and rural parts of the country.
Connected Care Pilot Program Background
Overall, this Pilot Program will make available up to $100 million over a three-year period for selected pilot projects for qualifying purchases necessary to provide connected care services, with a particular emphasis on providing connected care services to low-income and veteran patients.
The Pilot Program will use Universal Service Fund monies to help defray the costs of connected care services for eligible health care providers, providing support for 85% of the cost of eligible services and network equipment, which include:
1. patient broadband Internet access services
2. health care provider broadband data connections
3. other connected care information services
4. certain network equipment
These pilot projects will address a variety of critical health issues such as high-risk pregnancy, mental health conditions, and opioid dependency, among others. Here is the list initial list of healthcare providers that were selected into the Pilot Program:
Banyan Community Health Center, Inc., Coral Gables, FL. Banyan Community Health Center’s pilot project seeks $911,833 to provide patient-based Internet-connected remote monitoring, video visits or consults, and other diagnostics and services to low-income and veteran patients who are suffering from chronic/long-term conditions, high-risk pregnancy, infectious disease including COVID-19, mental health conditions, and opioid dependency. Banyan Community Health Center plans to serve an estimated 20,847 patients in Miami, Florida, 85% of which are low-income or veteran patients.
Duke University Health System, Durham, NC. Duke University Health System’s pilot project seeks $1,464,759 to provide remote patient monitoring and video visits or consults to a large number of low-income patients suffering from heart failure, cancer, and infectious diseases. Duke University Health System’s pilot project plans to serve an estimated 16,000 patients in North Carolina, of which 25% are low-income.
Geisinger, consortium with sites in Lewiston, PA; Danville, PA; Jersey Shore, PA; Bloomsburg, PA; Coal Township, PA; and Wilkes-Barre, PA. Geisinger’s pilot project seeks $1,739,100 in support to provide connected care services and remote patient monitoring to low-income patients in rural communities in Pennsylvania. Geisinger’s pilot project would serve an estimated 1,000 patients and would focus on chronic disease management and high-risk pregnancies, while also treating infectious disease and behavioral health conditions. Through its pilot program, Geisinger plans to directly connect all participating patients, 100% of whom are low-income, with broadband Internet access service.
Grady Health System, Atlanta, GA. Grady Health System’s pilot project seeks $635,596 to provide Internet connectivity to an estimated 1,896 primarily low-income and high-risk patients who are unable to utilize video telemedicine services due to lack of a reliable network connection in Atlanta. The program will focus on using connected care services such as patient remote monitoring and video visits/consults to treat vulnerable patients with conditions such as congestive heart failure, COVID19, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and HIV.
Intermountain Centers for Human Development, consortium with sites in Casa Grande, AZ; Nogales, AZ; Coolidge, AZ; and Eloy, AZ. Intermountain Centers for Human Development’s pilot project seeks $237,150 in support to treat mental health conditions, opioid dependency, and other substance abuse disorders. The pilot project plans to serve 3,400 patients in Arizona, including rural areas, of which 90% are low-income.
MA FQHC Telehealth Consortium, consortium with 76 sites in Massachusetts. MA FQHC Telehealth Consortium’s pilot project seeks $3,121,879 in support to provide mental health and substance abuse disorder treatment through remote patient monitoring, video visits, and other remote treatment to patients in Massachusetts, including significant numbers of veterans and low-income patients. The pilot project will expand access to these services by leveraging program funding to increase bandwidth at its sites, and to provide patients with mobile hotspots. This project would serve 75,000 patients through 76 federally qualified health centers in Massachusetts, including rural areas, with an intended patient population of 61.5% low-income or veteran patients.
Mountain Valley Health Center, consortium with 7 sites in Northeastern California. Mountain Valley Health Center’s pilot project seeks $550,800 in support to provide telehealth capabilities and in-home monitoring of patients with hypertension and diabetes. Mountain Valley’s pilot project plans to serve an estimated 200 patients in rural Northeastern California, of which at least 24% will be low-income patients and 10% will be veteran patients.
Neighborhood Healthcare – Escondido, Escondido, CA, Neighborhood Healthcare – Valley Parkway, Escondido, CA, Neighborhood Healthcare – El Cajon, El Cajon, CA, Neighborhood Healthcare – Temecula, Temecula, CA, Neighborhood Healthcare – Pauma Valley, Pauma Valley, CA. Neighborhood Healthcare’s pilot project seeks $129,744 to provide patient broadband access to primarily low-income patients suffering from chronic and long-term conditions (e.g., diabetes and high blood pressure). Neighborhood Healthcare’s collective project plans to serve an estimated 339 patients, 97% of which are low-income patients, in five sites serving Riverside and San Diego counties.
OCHIN, Inc., consortium with 15 sites in Ohio, 16 sites in Oregon, and 13 sites in Washington. OCHIN’s pilot project seeks $5,834,620 in support to lead a consortium of 44 providers in Ohio, Oregon, and Washington, encompassing 8 federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) serving rural, urban, and tribal communities. OCHIN’s pilot project will provide patient broadband Internet access service and wireless connections directly to an estimated 3,450 low-income patients to access connected care services, including video visits, patient-based Internet-connected patient monitoring, and remote treatment and will deliver care to treat high-risk pregnancy, maternal health conditions, mental health conditions, and chronic and long-term conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.
Phoebe Worth Medical Center – Camilla Clinic, Camilla, GA; Phoebe Physicians Group Inc – PPC of Buena Vista, Buena Vista, GA; Phoebe Physicians Group – Ellaville Primary Medicine Center, Ellaville, GA; Phoebe Physicians dba Phoebe Family Medicine & Sports Medicine, Americus, GA; Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, Albany, GA; Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital dba Phoebe Family Medicine – Sylvester, Sylvester, GA. The Phoebe Putney Health System projects seek $673,200 to provide patient-based Internet-connected remote monitoring, video visits, and remote treatment for low-income patients suffering from chronic conditions or mental health conditions. These projects plan to serve an estimated 4,007 patients, approximately 1,000 of which will be low-income patients in six sites serving southwest Georgia.
Summit Pacific Medical Center, Elma, WA. Summit Pacific Medical Center’s pilot program seeks $169,977 in support to provide patient-based Internet-connected remote monitoring, other monitoring services, video visits, diagnostic imaging, remote treatment and other services for veterans and low-income patients suffering from chronic conditions, infectious diseases, mental health conditions, and opioid dependency. Summit Pacific Medical Center’s pilot project would serve an estimated 25 patients in Elma, Washington, 100% of which would be low-income or veteran patients.
Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA. Temple University Hospital’s pilot project seeks $4,254,250 to provide patient-based Internet connected remote monitoring and video visits to patients, including low-income patients, suffering from chronic/long-term conditions and mental health conditions. This pilot project plans to serve an estimated 100,000 patients in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 45% of which are low-income patients.
University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS. The University of Mississippi Medical Center’s (UMMC) pilot project seeks $2,377,875 in support to provide broadband Internet access service to patients, enabling remote patient monitoring technologies and ambulatory telehealth visits to low-income patients suffering from chronic conditions or illnesses requiring long-term care. UMMC’s pilot project would impact an estimated 237,120 patients across Mississippi and serve up to 6,000 patients directly. Of these patients, UMMC estimates that 52% would be low-income.
University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA. The University of Virginia (UVA) Health System’s pilot project seeks $4,462,500 in support to expand the deployment of remote patient monitoring and telehealth services to an estimated 17,000 patients across Virginia, nearly 30% of whom will be low-income. The UVA Health System pilot project will support patient broadband and information services, including systems to capture, transmit, and store patient data to allow remote patient monitoring, two-way video, and patient scheduling.