Health Systems Make COVID-19 Telehealth Expansion Plans With FCC Grants

Mercy and Tampa General Hospital have each received grants from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to invest in new virtual care technologies and expand access to COVID-19 telehealth services for their patient populations.

Mercy has conducted more than 800,000 virtual visits since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, a massive jump from the 10,000 visits the health system provided in 2019. The $2.2 million grant from the FCC will benefit patients in Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.

“When we applied for the grant as part of our response to COVID, we looked at what we did during the first few months of the pandemic and how technology enabled our initial COVID response,” David Hinkle, executive director of business operations for Mercy’s Virtual Care Center, said in the press release.  “We were able to limit bedside exposure because patients could connect to our caregivers from home. We were also able to provide invaluable communication between hospitalized COVID patients and their families.”

The FCC grant will go toward purchasing telemedicine carts and monitors that will help Mercy providers communicate virtually with caregivers and patients.

Mercy will distribute the funds based on need and will prioritize rural health facilities, the press release stated. Missouri-based facilities will receive $793,000, providers in Oklahoma will receive $776,000, and those in Arkansas will receive $647,000.

The technology will also help support specialized, remote treatment and expand the virtual scope of Mercy’s COVID and critical care units.

The health system currently offers a telehealth program specifically for COVID-19 patients, called COVID Care @ Home, which uses remote patient monitoring strategies to help keep patients out of the hospital during their recovery. The program has treated more than 65,000 patients since the start of the pandemic.

Additionally, Mercy has utilized telehealth services for triage, determining if COVID-19 patients required treatment at the emergency department, an outpatient setting, or if they could manage their symptoms from home.

“Telehealth has proven to be an invaluable tool as we continue to work to limit the spread of COVID-19 in our facilities and communities,” David Hunton, MD, president of Mercy Clinic Fort Smith in Arkansas, stated in the press release. “It's also convenient for our patients, allowing them an option to get medical care from the safety of their home.”

Tampa General Hospital has also received a $1 million grant from the FCC that aims to support COVID-19 telehealth services by expanding ambulatory telehealth services and increasing access to remote monitoring solutions.

The funding will provide the hospital’s Global Emerging Diseases Institute with remote patient monitoring devices to help healthcare professionals monitor COVID-19 patients and improve patient-provider communication.

The grant money will also support the inclusion of high-risk specialists in Tampa General Hospital’s virtual specialty consult program, according to the press release. In addition, the health system will work to increase access to virtual primary care services for underserved and low-income populations.

Similar to Mercy, Tampa General Hospital will utilize telehealth services for triage in urgent care centers regarding COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 circumstances.

“This grant will allow us to continue serving the community with the latest technology, providing smart, innovative care and increasing patient access to vital services and potentially preventing the development of more serious health issues,” Marion Dawkins, senior director of ambulatory strategy operations and services at Tampa General, stated in the press release.

The grants for both Mercy and Tampa General Hospital are a part of the FCC’s COVID-19 Telehealth Program, which was launched as a part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

The program allocates federal funds to healthcare providers to help them expand or develop connected health platforms during the pandemic. The latest round of funding consisted of $42.7 million that was distributed among 68 healthcare providers.