SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND ANNOUNCE NEARLY $1 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDING FOR TELEHEALTH SERVICES
Washington D.C. - U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $980,062 in federal funding to provide telehealth services for New Yorkers affected by the coronavirus outbreak. The funding was allocated through the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) COVID-19 Telehealth Program as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES). Telehealth Program funding will help connect providers with patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, while preventing unnecessary visits to over-crowded hospitals and emergency rooms.
The fourth round of Telehealth Program funding awarded $729,118 to The Institute for Family Health in New Paltz, one of the largest federally qualified health center networks in New York. This funding will serve 16 community centers, including group homes for the developmentally disabled, and will provide telehealth visits for primary medical and preventive care, mental health care, and care management services.
Additionally, the New York Psychotherapy and Counseling Center in Jamaica, New York received $126,799 to implement telehealth services for low-income and at-risk patients struggling with mental health issues.
In New Hyde Park, the Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation was awarded $97,965 for remote monitoring devices to care for elderly and chronically ill patients in its 527-bed nursing facility and rehabilitation center.
The Service Program for Older People, Inc. in New York City was awarded $26,180 to provide comprehensive mental health services to adults aged 55 and older who are at high risk of contracting COVID-19.
“As COVID-19 continues to sweep through New York, leaving no community untouched, it’s imperative that New York communities have the tools necessary to keep up the fight against the pandemic,” said Senator Schumer. “I am proud to have secured this vital funding for telehealth programs that will help New Yorkers get through this crisis, and I will continue to fight to make sure that hospitals have the dollars they need to keep both frontline healthcare providers and patients healthy.”
“As we combat the COVID-19 outbreak, affordable and effective health care is crucial for the safety of New Yorkers,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Telehealth services will help ensure that high-risk populations have access to safe and quality health care. I will continue fighting for the resources needed to keep both our communities and health care workers safe during this unprecedented health crisis.”
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