Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that seven Illinois healthcare providers have been awarded a total of $2,977,794 in federal funding to provide telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic. These investments were awarded through the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) COVID-19 Telehealth Program.
“Expanding the reach of Illinois’s healthcare network is critical to extending reliable and accessible care to more Illinoisans, especially as we continue to respond to the COVID-19 public health crisis,” Duckworth said. “I’m proud to join Senator Durbin in announcing these federal telehealth funds to help our state’s health providers serve their communities in this time of need.”
“This federal funding will help Illinois providers strengthen telehealth services, which have become especially important during the pandemic, allowing more people to access care no matter their location,” Durbin said. “Senator Duckworth and I are proud to announce this funding and will continue working to improve access to health care services throughout Illinois.”
Under today’s announcement, the following Illinois healthcare providers are expected to receive funding through the FCC’s COVID-19 Telehealth Program:
- Family Christian Health Center in Harvey is expected to receive $124,667 for Voice over IP video phones and cloud technology to support telehealth services for patients, particularly for at-risk populations like seniors.
- Lawndale Christian Health Center in Chicago is expected to receive $172,354 for telehealth equipment, including laptops to help behavioral health specialists care for patients virtually and to help other providers conduct virtual appointments for Chicagoans in homeless shelters.
- Chestnut Health Systems in Bloomington is expected to receive $271,866 for telehealth devices to help providers better reach patients during the pandemic.
- Asian Human Services Family Health Center in Chicago is expected to receive $400,725 for mobile devices and cellular data service to help providers conduct virtual appointments and virtually monitor the health of at-risk patients.
- Erie Family Health Center, Inc. in Chicago is expected to receive $409,678 for laptops and wireless headsets to help providers better reach patients during the pandemic.
- Pillars Community Health in La Grange is expected to receive $598,504 for laptops, software and remote monitoring devices to help providers better reach Illinoisans experiencing homelessness, as well as low-income, uninsured and underinsured patients.
- UnityPoint Health, comprised of hospitals in Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin, is expected to receive $1,000,000 for telehealth devices and equipment to help providers improve specialty care and better reach rural and low-income Americans.
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