Media Contact:
Joseph Calascione, (202) 418-2085
joseph.calascione@fcc.gov
 
For Immediate Release

FCC Announces First Set of Awardees for Carr’s Connected Care Pilot Program

$100 Million Initiative Supports Telehealth for Low-Income Americans and Veterans

WASHINGTON, DC, January 15, 2021—Today, the FCC announced the first set of awardees for its $100 million Connected Care Pilot Program.  The Commission voted to select 14 applicants and award $26.5 million in funding this round.  The Commission will announce additional awardees in the near future.

Commissioner Carr has been leading the FCC’s efforts to develop this telehealth initiative over the past two years, and he released the following statement: 

“Just over two year ago, we identified a new trend in telehealth.  Americans no longer need to visit a brick-and-mortar health care facility to receive high-quality care.  With advances in smartphones and other connected devices, patients can now receive care whenever and wherever they have an Internet connection—whether for video visits or tracking a range of medical conditions.  It’s the health care equivalent of shifting from Blockbuster to Netflix.

“To support this new trend, we created the Connected Care Pilot Program.  The goal is simple: to encourage health care providers to deliver connected care services to low-income Americans and veterans by funding 85% of those providers’ qualifying costs.  
 
“This initial set of 14 awardees will receive approximately $26.5 million in support.  Projects in this initial set of selections represent several different geographic areas and provider types, will involve patients in underserved communities, and will address a range of health conditions.

“I have had the chance to visit with a number of the awardees selected in this first round, including the University of Mississippi Medical Center, in Jackson, Mississippi, the University of Virginia Health System, in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the Duke University Health System, in Durham, North Carolina.  I have seen firsthand the good work that the health care heroes at these facilities are accomplishing.  Indeed, the idea for this Connected Care Pilot Program sprung from a visit I had with the team at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, so I am particularly pleased to see that they will be participating in this initiative.  

“I want to express my thanks to the FCC team that has worked tirelessly to stand up this program.  And I look forward to seeing the good work that these set of awardees will accomplish with the FCC’s support.”


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Office of Commissioner Brendan Carr: (202) 418-2200
www.fcc.gov/about/leadership/brendan-carr