Rural, Underserved Areas in California Get Help From FCC Grant
The California State Rural Health Association this week discussed a recently announced $22 million grant from the Federal Communications Commission to boost rural health care in the state through telemedicine, the Eureka Reporter reports.
The California Telehealth Network, a coalition led by the University of California, will use the grant to bring telemedicine technology to rural and underserved areas of the state. The new technology will allow physicians in urban areas to help monitor, treat and diagnose patients in rural areas.
Assembly member Patty Berg (D-Eureka) said, "The federal grant will help us to expand broadband networks for telemedicine, which will enable us to connect medical experts to clinics in some of the most remote regions of California."
The grant will connect about 300 health care providers who are unconnected to telemedicine services.
Grant awardees in the first year include:
- Redwood Memorial Hospital in Fortuna;
- St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka;
- United Indian Health Service in Arcata; and
- Sonoma Valley Hospital in Sonoma.
In addition to the $22 million grant, Proposition 1D allocated $200 million to increase telemedicine capacity statewide (Eureka Reporter, 12/5). This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.