FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE ACTING CHAIRWOMAN April 28, 2021 The Honorable Robert Menendez United States Senate 528 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Menendez: Thank you for your letter supporting the application of University Hospital for funding under the Federal Communications Commission s Connected Care Pilot Program. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented extraordinary new challenges and opportunities for patients and doctors. From patients struggling to remotely connect with a health care professional to manage their chronic conditions, to doctors having to rethink their care models, health care providers have innovated at a rapid pace. Telehealth can be a solution to help bridge that gap by bringing specialty care available only in hospital centers to smaller clinics and even the home where problems can be addressed quickly, before they prove life threatening. The Connected Care Pilot Program will provide up to $100 million of universal service support over three years to help defray eligible health care providers costs of providing telehealth services to patients at their homes or mobile locations. It is specifically focused on veterans and low-income individuals. I appreciate your support of University Hospital s proposal for the Connected Care Pilot Program and thank you for highlighting its potential impact. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel