Portland Community Health Center has been awarded $245,988 from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to support telehealth services for COVID-19 treatment according to a press release issued by Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D. The funding comes from the FCC’s COVID-19 telehealth program and was authorized by the CARESACT.
The funding will be used for telehealth equipment to monitor and provide care for patients in isolation who have tested positive for COVID-19. In addition, dedicated telehealth rooms for all patients without the ability to participate in a remote telehealth visit will be established and the Health Center will deploy a portable teleclinic system to monitor the vitals of patients without a health care worker needing to physically be in the same room.
Pingree is a member of the Congressional Telehealth Caucus and has repeatedly called for broadband telehealth access to assist Mainers in rural areas.