HHS makes grants to three Utah organizations to improve telehealth

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), has awarded $264,651 to three organizations in Utah to increase telehealth capabilities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nationally, $15 million was awarded to 159 organizations across five health workforce programs.

These awards are funded through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act that Pres. Trump signed into law on March 27. HRSA made awards to organizations based on their capacity to implement COVID-19 telehealth activities that train high-demand professions across the healthcare team.

“This new funding from Congress will enable more heroic health professionals on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic to use telehealth for a broad range of care,” said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. “HHS has created historic opportunities to deliver care safely and effectively via telehealth during the pandemic, including through everyday tools like FaceTime and Skype, and we are committed to helping providers and patients, especially in vulnerable communities, maximize all of these new telehealth options.”

These grants will train students, physicians, nurses, physician assistants, allied health and other high-demand professionals in telehealth. This will enable these professionals to maximize telehealth for COVID-19-referrals for screening and testing, case management, outpatient care and other essential care during the crisis.

Additionally, through increased telehealth capabilities from this funding, organizations will be able to maintain primary care services when clinics and medical facilities are not available, especially for COVID-19 positive, quarantined, elderly and other vulnerable populations.

“Telehealth is a vital tool for our providers in delivering critical treatment to populations most seriously impacted by this pandemic,” said HRSA Administrator Tom Engels. “As we look to build and prepare the future workforce, telehealth has opened up new possibilities to educate and clinically train health providers to connect with patients, when and where they need services.”