NEWS Federal Communications Commission 445 12 th Street, S.W. Washington, D. C. 20554 This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action. Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action. See MCI v. FCC. 515 F 2d 385 (D.C. Circ 1974). News Media Information 202 / 418-0500 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov TTY: 1-888-835-5322 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: March 4, 2014 Neil Grace, 202-418-0506 E-mail: neil.grace@fcc.gov FCC CHAIRMAN ANNOUNCES NEW CONNECT2HEALTH FCC TASK FORCE Task Force will identify barriers to wireless health adoption and build partnerships with stakeholders; Michele Ellison Named Task Force Chair Washington, D.C. – Today, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler announced the formation of a new Commission Task Force – CONNECT2HEALTH FCC – that will bring together the expertise of the FCC on the critical intersection of broadband, advanced technology, and health. Chairman Wheeler announced Michele Ellison as Chair of the Task Force and his intent to name her Deputy General Counsel. Specifically, the CONNECT2HEALTH FCC Task Force will consider ways to accelerate the adoption of health care technologies by leveraging broadband and other next-gen communications services. To advance this broad initiative, Ms. Ellison will work hand in hand with the leadership of the Commission, in particular with the FCC’s Director of Health Care Initiatives and the Chiefs of the Wireline and Wireless Bureaus and Office of Engineering and Technology. Ms. Ellison will also collaborate with public and private stakeholders in the health care and technology space. FCC Chairman Wheeler said, “The Commission’s top priority must be to make networks work for everyone. Broadband itself is not the goal – it’s what broadband enables. We must leverage all available technologies to ensure that advanced health care solutions are readily accessible to all Americans, from rural and remote areas to underserved inner cities. By identifying regulatory barriers and incentives and building stronger partnerships with stakeholders in the areas of tele-health, mobile applications, and tele- medicine, we can expedite this vital shift.” He continued, “Michele brings a wealth of experience to the effort. She is a gifted lawyer and dedicated public servant who has brought her keen leadership skills to bear as a forceful and effective Chief of the Enforcement Bureau. I am pleased that she now will use her formidable talents to address this critical challenge.” Ms. Ellison has served as Chief of the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau since 2009. Under her leadership, the Commission took consistent and aggressive action to enforce the Communications Act and the Commission’s rules – issuing more than $300 million in proposed penalties and settlements and taking nearly 6000 enforcement actions. These precedent-setting actions include the $25 million settlement— the largest in FCC history—on “mystery fees” (unauthorized data charges billed to millions of consumers), the $18.25 million settlement addressing improper billing of the Telecommunications Relay Service fund, and two landmark rural call completion settlements. Throughout her term, Ms. Ellison maintained a strategic focus on consumer protection and public safety issues as well as on disability rights, spectrum, and competition enforcement. Ms. Ellison also served as Chief of Staff during Commissioner Clyburn’s tenure as Chairwoman and previously led the agency’s legal team as Acting General Counsel. . -FCC- News about the Federal Communications Commission can also be found on the Commission’s web site www.fcc.gov.