FCC COMMISSIONER BRENDAN CARR ANNOUNCES VIRTUAL ROUNDTABLE FOCUSED ON THE FUTURE OF TELEHEALTH

WASHINGTON, DC, November 18, 2021—FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr will host a virtual roundtable on Monday, December 6, 2021, starting at 10:00 a.m. EST that will focus on the FCC’s telehealth initiatives and the benefits they can bring to communities across the country.  The event will provide a forum for health care providers that are participating or seeking to participate in the FCC’s telehealth initiatives to share their experiences, learn from each other’s work, and identify opportunities for both private and public stakeholders to facilitate the successful, long-term implementation of telehealth services. 

During the virtual roundtable, two sets of panelists, including recipients of funding from the FCC’s Connected Care Pilot Program and COVID-19 Telehealth initiatives, will discuss the opportunities and lessons they have learned from setting up, expanding, and sustaining their telehealth programs.

Expanding Americans’ access to telehealth services has been a top priority for Commissioner Carr.  While the FCC has long-supported the buildout of high-speed Internet services to health care facilities through the Universal Service Fund, Commissioner Carr began work several years ago to support a new trend in healthcare: the delivery of affordable, high-quality care directly to patients outside the confines of connected, brick-and-mortar facilities.  Commissioner Carr’s work resulted in the FCC standing up a nationwide, $100 million Connected Care Pilot Program that builds on a program pioneered by the University of Mississippi Medical Center.  At the same time, the FCC stood up an emergency COVID-19 Telehealth initiative with $200 million in CARES Act funding, and Congress subsequently added another $250 million to that program.

The FCC has already provided numerous health care providers with funding from these programs, though there are millions of dollars that remain available.  This makes it an opportune moment for both recipients and potential future awardees to convene at this virtual roundtable to discuss their experiences with these telehealth initiatives.

The schedule for the roundtable will be as follows:

10:00 AM – 10:20 AM		Opening Remarks and Introductions

10:25 AM – 11:05 AM	Panel 1: Challenges and Opportunities for Improving Telehealth Services through FCC Programs

11:10 AM – 11:50 AM	Panel 2: Broader Telehealth Landscape, Funding, and Ancillary Issues

Registration is not required.  The roundtable will be recorded and made available on the FCC’s website and YouTube channel following the event. 

The roundtable will be webcast with open captioning at www.fcc.gov/live.  Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon request.  Include a description of the accommodation you will need and tell us how to contact you if we need more information.  Make your request as early as possible.  Last minute requests will be accepted, but may be impossible to fill.  Send an e-mail to: FCC504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice).

For additional information about the roundtable, please contact Danielle Thumann, Legal Advisor, Office of Commissioner Brendan Carr, danielle.thumann@fcc.gov.

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Office of Commissioner Brendan Carr
www.fcc.gov/about/leadership/brendan-carr
Media Contact:  Danielle Thumann
(202) 418-0376 or danielle.thumann@fcc.gov