Federal Communications Commission DA 21-1222 DA 21-1222 Released: September 29, 2021 WIRELINE COMPETITION BUREAU APPROVES SECOND GROUP OF FUNDING AWARDEES IN ROUND 2 OF COVID-19 TELEHEALTH PROGRAM 72 Health Care Providers Receive Critical Support for Telehealth and Connected Care Services WC Docket No. 20-89 Today, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) approves the second group of funding commitments under Round 2 of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Telehealth Program (Program) and commits $41,113,186 in funding to 72 health care providers across the Nation. The first funding announcement was made on August 26, 2021. See FCC Announces Awards For Round 2 of the COVID-19 Telehealth Program, WC Docket No. 20-89, Public Notice, DA 21-1052 (WCB 2021). Sixty-two health care providers received over $41 million as part of the first funding announcement. The funding commitments made today will provide critical support to health care providers on the front lines in the fight against the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The Federal Communications Commission (Commission) established the Program in April 2020 pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Promoting Telehealth for Low-Income Consumers; COVID-19 Telehealth Program, WC Docket Nos. 18-213, 20-89, Report and Order, 35 FCC Rcd 3366 (2020) (First COVID-19 Report and Order); Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, Pub. L. No 116-136, 134 Stat. 281 (2020) (CARES Act). to provide $200 million in emergency funding to health care providers for telehealth and connected care services in response to COVID-19. From April 16, 2020, through July 8, 2020, the Commission fully obligated the $200 million by issuing awards on a rolling basis to 539 applications. Press Release, FCC, FCC Approves Final Set of COVID-19 Telehealth Program Applications (July 8, 2020), https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-approves-final-set-covid-19-telehealth-program-applications. To build on the Program’s success, Congress appropriated an additional $249.95 million to fund the second round of the Program as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, Pub. L. No: 116-260, Division N-Additional Coronavirus Response and Relief, Title IX-Broadband Internet Access Service, § 903 “FCC COVID-19 Telehealth Program” (2020), available at https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/133/text (Consolidated Appropriations Act). On March 30, 2021, the Commission released the Second COVID-19 Report and Order, COVID-19 Telehealth Program; Promoting Telehealth for Low-Income Consumers, WC Docket Nos. 20-89 and 18-213, Report and Order and Order on Reconsideration, 36 FCC Rcd 7141 (2021) (Second COVID-19 Report and Order). which initiated Round 2 of the Program by adopting additional requirements and processes to implement Congressional direction and improve Program administration. Applications for Round 2 were accepted from April 29, 2021, through May 6, 2021. Wireline Competition Bureau Announces Application Filing Window for Round 2 of COVID-19 Telehealth Program Will Open April 29, 2021, WC Docket No. 20-89, Public Notice, 36 FCC Rcd 7321 (WCB 2021). As the Commission established in the Second COVID-19 Report and Order, funding for Round 2 of the Program is to be awarded in two phases. Second COVID-19 Report and Order, 36 FCC Rcd at 7171-73, paras. 61-69. In the initial commitment phase, at least $150 million will be awarded based in part on geographic considerations and on the objective evaluation metrics outlined in the Second COVID-19 Report and Order. Second COVID-19 Report and Order, 36 FCC Rcd at 7157, para. 38. A full list of the funding awardees receiving funding commitments today is included in Appendix A of this Public Notice. To date, 134 awardees have received funding commitments for $83,093,531. The Bureau will continue to commit funding to the highest-scoring applications, in descending order, until at least $150 million has been committed, Id. at 7172, para. 64. Once $150 million in funding has been committed, any applications with the same score as the last application to receive a funding commitment will also receive a funding commitment. Id. and it will then issue a Public Notice announcing the complete list of those awardees, the amount of their awards, and the remaining funding available for the final commitment window. Id. at 7172, para. 64. That Public Notice will also provide guidance, as directed by the Commission, on how the applicants that did not receive funding during the initial commitment phase may supplement their applications with additional information. Id. at 7172, para. 65. For further information regarding this Public Notice, please contact Connor Ferraro, Attorney Advisor, Wireline Competition Bureau, Connor.Ferraro@fcc.gov or (202) 418-1322. For more information about Round 2, refer to USAC’s website at www.usac.org/about/covid-19-telehealth-program. For inquiries and support related to Round 2 invoicing, please contact Round2TelehlthInvoicSupp@FCC.gov. -FCC- APPENDIX A Lead Health Care Provider or Applicant Eligible Funding Amount AdventHealth $791,497 Adventist Health System West $1,000,000 Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) $798,147 Appalachian Regional Healthcare $408,140 AtlantiCare Health System $533,062 Baptist Memorial Health Care $209,008 Baton Rouge General Medical Center - Mid-City Campus $367,664 Baylor Scott & White Health $984,183 Beth Israel Medical Center $920,000 Bon Secours $308,246 The Brighter Beginnings Richmond Family Health Clinic $1,000,000 Camillus Health Concern, Inc. $983,464 Care Resource Community Health Centers, Inc. $966,542 Carolina Community Health Center $1,000,000 Centerville Clinics $224,204 CentraCare Health System $234,352 Centura Health $997,597 Cherokee Health Systems $861,560 Community Health Net $327,661 Community Health of South Florida $347,850 Cornell Scott-Hill Health Corporation $713,726 Cornerstone Family Healthcare $390,329 Covenant Health $987,991 Covenant Living Communities and Services $95,113 Detroit Health Care for the Homeless $221,619 East Liberty Family Health Care Center $427,782 Family Health Care $713,656 Family Health Centers of Southwest Florida $13,801 Franciscan Health Indianapolis $747,665 Gaston Family Health Services $983,524 The Guthrie Clinic $949,721 The Health Care Collaborative of Rural Missouri $285,871 Health Services, Inc. $533,071 The Heartland Health Centers $460,635 Hills & Dales General Hospital $684,801 Horizon Health Services $697,590 Huntsville Hospital $394,478 Indiana Regional Medical Center $295,298 Keck Hospital and School of Medicine of USC $895,102 Kootenai Health $784,023 Lee Memorial Health System $1,000,000 Lone Star Circle of Care $220,476 Maniilaq Health Center $637,869 Maple City Health Care Center $312,073 The Medical Center at Bowling Green $100,325 The Medical University of South Carolina Medical Center $607,978 Memorial Healthcare System $974,968 Methodist Healthcare Memphis Hospitals $280,211 Morris Heights Health Center $197,529 Neighborcare Health $823,563 Nett Lake Health Services $120,305 Northwest Buffalo Community Health Care Center $479,019 NSB Health & Social Service Department $319,409 The North Central Family Medical Center $269,050 Orange Blossom Family Health $126,360 OSF Healthcare System $943,644 Philadelphia FIGHT $399,183 Presbyterian Healthcare Services $625,790 Roseland Community Hospital $44,107 Salud Family Health Center $433,140 Samaritan Healthcare $425,449 Shore Memorial Hospital $770,000 South Boston Community Health Center $45,557 St. Luke Community Healthcare $251,609 Tampa General Hospital $1,000,000 University of Florida College of Medicine $480,364 University of Rochester Medical Center $996,280 USA Health University Hospital $833,250 Vidant Health System $897,000 Wayne Memorial Community Health Centers $421,883 Whittier Street Health Center Committee $936,400 Wyckoff Heights Medical Center $601,397 2