Federal Communications Commission DA 21-1619 DA 21-1619 Released: December 21, 2021 WIRELINE COMPETITION BUREAU APPROVES FIFTH GROUP OF FUNDING AWARDS IN ROUND 2 OF COVID-19 TELEHEALTH PROGRAM 68 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 fifth group of funding commitments under Round 2 of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Telehealth Program (Program) and commits $42,702,383 million in funding to 68 health care providers across the Nation. See FCC Announces Awards For Round 2 of the COVID-19 Telehealth Program, WC Docket No. 20-89, Public Notices, DA 21-1052, 21-1221, 21-1319, and 21-1403 (WCB 2021). 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. A full list of the funding awardees receiving funding commitments today is included in Appendix A of this Public Notice. To date, 348 awardees have received funding commitments totaling $208,428,464. 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 was be awarded based in part on geographic considerations and on the objective evaluation metrics outlined in the Second COVID-19 Report and Order. Id. at 7157, para. 38. As directed by the Second COVID-19 Report and Order, once at least $150 million was awarded, the Bureau issued a Public Notice announcing the remaining funding available for the final commitment window, Id. at 7172, para. 64. along with guidance, as directed by the Commission, on how the applicants that did not receive funding during the initial commitment phase could supplement their applications with additional information. Id. at 7172, para. 65. Applicants that did not receive funding in the initial commitment phase had ten days to supplement their application with any additional information they chose to include. The Public Notice announcing the ten-day period for applicants to supplement their applications was released on November 9, 2021, and the ten-day period closed on November 19, 2021. See Wireline Competition Bureau Completes Initial Phase of COVID-19 Telehealth Program Round 2 Awards and Commences Ten-day Resubmission Period, WC Docket No. 20-89, Public Notice, DA 21-1403 (WCB Nov. 9, 2021). As directed by the Commission, in the second phase, the remaining Program funding will be awarded to the highest-scoring remaining applications, until all funding has been committed. For further information regarding this Public Notice, please contact Nathan Eagan, Attorney Advisor, Wireline Competition Bureau, Nathan.Eagan@fcc.gov or (202) 418-0991. 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- 2 APPENDIX A Lead Health Care Provider or Applicant Eligible Funding Amount Adena Regional Medical Center $532,000 AllianceChicago $975,124 Aspirus Wausau Hospital $999,463 Atrium Health $774,414 Aunt Martha’s Health and Wellness $156,000 Axis Health System $300,027 Beaumont Hospital $850,789 Bingham Memorial Hospital $840,111 Burnett Medical Center $174,634 Carle Foundation Hospital $643,231 University of Cincinnati Medical Center $1,000,000 University of Colorado Hospital Authority $779,447 Community Care Network of Kansas $404,923 Community Health Center of Central Missouri $329,215 Community Health Center of the North Country $328,104 Community Health Centers, Inc. $956,655 Community HealthNet $885,000 Compass Community Health $151,879 Compass Health $967,371 Cook County Health $513,356 Coos County Family Health Services $68,750 County of Los Angeles – Department of Health Services $1,000,000 CoxHealth Consortium $553,551 Family Medicine Clinic for Health Equity $360,200 Heart of Florida Health Center $165,509 Henry County Memorial Hospital $338,511 Hutchinson Regional Medical Center $1,000,000 Jackson Parish Hospital $442,144 Kalkaska Memorial Health Center $526,250 Kenosha Community Health Center $988,540 Kettering Medical Center $273,194 Klickitat County Public Hospital $711,739 LaSante Health Center $867,684 Little Rivers Health Care $872,381 Louisiana Primary Care Association $890,860 Lower Umpqua Hospital District $989,628 Marana Health Center $794,998 Mercy Hospital Fort Smith $647,154 Monongahela Valley Hospital $498,726 Na Pu’uwai $275,000 Nationwide Children’s Hospital $964,076 Neighborhood Healthcare $998,675 Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center $176,054 Northern Arizona Healthcare $969,884 Northwestern Memorial HealthCare $1,000,000 Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Cancer Hospital $526,613 Piedmont Healthcare $197,789 Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services $398,825 Putnam County Hospital $934,736 Rehoboth McKinley Christian Health Care Services $697,179 The Ritchie County Primary Care Association $960,444 Sacopee Valley Health Center $616,532 Seattle Children’s Hospital $1,000,000 Shands Jacksonville Medical Center $470,553 Sinai Health System $1,000,000 Siouxland Community Health Center $977,978 Sky Lakes Medical Center $226,092 Southeast, Inc. $51,733 St. Claire Medical Center $308,894 St. Joseph’s Hospital $416,403 Summit Pacific Medical Center $977,994 Sun Life Family Health Center $907,887 Talbert House Health Center $153,208 Trinitas Reginal Medical Center $639,832 Union Hospital $173,450 University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center $999,015 Watauga Medical Center $131,975 Westchester County Health Care Corporation $1,000,000