On Thursday, the Federal Communications Commission announced the approval of $46 million in funding for telehealth projects that will connect hospitals in nine states to broadband telehealth networks and create a telehealth network in Alaska, AHA News reports.
The projects are funded under FCC's Rural Health Care Pilot Program (AHA News, 4/16).
The funding will go to five organizations to deploy new fiber optic networks and improve existing infrastructure to establish Internet connections that will permit health care providers to access remote patient monitoring, distance consultation and education programs, as well as allow hospitals to exchange electronic health information.
The networks will connect hospitals in:
- Iowa;
- Minnesota;
- Montana;
- Nebraska;
- North Dakota;
- South Carolina;
- South Dakota;
- Wisconsin; and
- Wyoming.
In addition, $10.4 million of the funding will be used to help the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium create a network to connect rural health care providers to urban centers in Alaska and throughout the lower 48 states (DerGurahian, Modern Healthcare, 4/17).