Four healthcare providers in Arkansas have received funding from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to support their telehealth efforts in the COVID-19 pandemic. The grants, awarded under the COVID-19 Telehealth Program, may be used to fund telecommunications services, information services, and other necessary technological investments.
Recipients in Arkansas and the amount awarded are:
- CARTI Cancer Center in Little Rock, $676,416.
- Community Service Inc. in Morrilton, $44,949.
- Southeast Arkansas Behavioral Healthcare System in Pine Bluff, $36,231.
- University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, $940,693.
Telehealth adoption had been gradually increasing nationally and in Arkansas before the pandemic, but COVID-19 accelerated the need for providers to offer remote telehealth services to patients. The FCC program provided $200 million in funding to 539 eligible providers in 47 states. Funding for the program was allocated under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security, or CARES, Act, which was signed into law in March.
