With Health Care Providers (HCPs) across the country devoted to providing the care our communities need more than ever, Hughes offers, not just our thanks, but also our support.
The latest congressional stimulus has awarded $200 million to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to implement telehealth programs. The objective is to help manage the strain on the healthcare system by treating non-COVID-19 patients outside of hospitals. Remote medical appointments, held via video chat, teleconference or even over the phone, are essential to offloading on-site examinations, follow-ups and consultations from hospitals and medical centers struggling to keep pace.
In an effort to make the program as expedient as possible, HCPs can request funding for telehealth services now, and then pick their vendors later. There is no competitive bidding process, funding is at 100%, and HCPs have flexibility in how they implement their telehealth services. Guidance on the application process is available on the FCC website.
With the FCC considering proposals on a first come, first serve basis, time is of the essence. Hughes can help HCPs with the application for funding, especially around solutions such as:
- Providing home access for patients - delivering connectivity for patients in their homes to connect with their providers for chronic health management, remote monitoring or post-acute care (e.g., after surgery or even recovering from COVID-19).
- At-home connectivity for medical professionals – using advanced dual-path terminals and networking solutions for home-based providers to support the increased demand for remote and telehealth services (for remote monitoring or video calls, for instance).
- Connecting new or temporary sites – we can deploy connectivity to businesses or homes rapidly, helping connect sites impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.
- Adding SD-WAN to existing networks at hospitals and care facilities – to improve connectivity and application performance at sites where emergency and other services are offered today.
While HCPs work to deliver the care our communities so desperately need, Hughes stands ready to help support their telehealth programs.