HHS awards nearly $165 million to rural hospitals and telehealth centers

The Division of Health and Human Products and services, as a result of the Health Methods and Products and services Administration, is awarding rural hospitals and telehealth source facilities approximately $one hundred sixty five million to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

The funds will go to one,779 smaller rural hospitals and will supply supplemental funding to fourteen Health Methods and Products and services Administration (HRSA)-funded Telehealth Useful resource Centers to supply technological aid. The quantity per hospital may differ concerning hospitals and point out-to-point out.

The fourteen telehealth facilities are acquiring much more than $11.five million from the CARES Act to supply expertise and custom-made telehealth technological aid even though also acting as a clearinghouse for telehealth investigate, application style and implementation.

WHY THIS Matters

The income targets smaller, rural hospitals and is different from the Coronavirus Assist, Aid, and Economic Security Act service provider relief fund.

An believed $30 billion in the CARES Act was recently distributed to hospitals nationwide.

The CARES Act funding lets hospitals most versatility in how they respond to COVID-19 in their communities, like the provision of tests and laboratory companies as nicely as the acquire of individual protecting products to minimize COVID-19 exposure.

The income also builds on the expansion of telehealth, which has increased beneath the coronavirus pandemic as the govt presents better versatility and reimbursement for its use.

THE Larger Development

HRSA’s Federal Place of work of Rural Health Plan been given $150 million as a result of the CARES Act to support hospitals funded as a result of the Modest Rural Hospital Advancement Plan respond to this general public health and fitness crisis.

ON THE Record

“Present-day funding presents rural hospitals important support to build up their ability for fighting COVID-19 in their communities, like as a result of even further expansions of telehealth, much more purchases of PPE, and boosting tests ability,” said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. “This funding, secured by President Trump from Congress, will build on the historic expansion of telehealth carried out by the Trump Administration to help all Americans accessibility the care they need to have for the duration of the pandemic.”

“As the country combats COVID-19, telehealth is ever more instrumental and helpful as a instrument to supply health care for individuals across the state, in particular the most susceptible,” said HRSA Administrator Tom Engels. “Supplying the TRCs with this supplemental funding permits them to expand their potential to supply technological aid to communities in need to have.”

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