05.14.20

Durbin, Duckworth Announce Telehealth Funding For Chicago Area Health Care Providers

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that three Chicago-area health care providers have been awarded federal funding to provide telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding, which was awarded through the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Wireline Competition Bureau, was appropriated by Congress as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

“This federal funding will allow more patients to be treated remotely, which will free up space and resources and reduce the spread of coronavirus,” Durbin said. “Telehealth services have become an invaluable resource during this pandemic and Senator Duckworth and I will continue working to improve Illinois’ access to these services.”

“Expanding the reach of Illinois’s healthcare network is critical to extending reliable care to more Illinoisans,” Duckworth said. “I’m proud to join Senator Durbin in announcing these federal telehealth funds to help our state’s health providers serve their communities in this time of need.”

The following organization have been awarded telehealth funding: 

  • Chicago Family Health Center, in Chicago, Illinois, was awarded $292,000 to implement a telemedicine/telehealth platform to treat patients without COVID-19 symptoms or conditions, which will improve patient flow, decrease cycle time, decrease financial costs, and free up staff time, enabling resources to be devoted to patients that need a face-to-face visit while reducing the risk of exposure to coronavirus for all patients.
  • Council for Jewish Elderly, in Chicago, Illinois, was awarded $6,783 to provide telehealth services in its skilled nursing facility and outpatient counseling departments for over 350 older adults to limit in-person care as much as possible to prevent the spread of the COVID-19.
  • Greater Elgin Family Care Center, in Elgin, Illinois, was awarded $39,639 for the purchase of laptops to expand its capacity to provide virtual visits for a wide variety of medical services to limit the spread of COVID-19.

The Wireline Competition Bureau will continue accepting applications and awarding funding on a rolling basis. Applications for the COVID-19 Telehealth Program are available here: www.fcc.gov/covid19telehealth.

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