HHS awards $55 million to expand virtual healthcare access
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Monday that it has awarded almost $55 million to 29 HRSA-funded health centers to increase healthcare access and quality for underserved populations.
Through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the funds will be allocated for telehealth, remote patient monitoring, digital patient tools, and health information technology platforms.
The new funding builds on the more than $7.3 billion from the American Rescue Plan invested in community health centers over the past year to mitigate the impact of COVID-19.
“Virtual care has been a game-changer for patients, especially during the pandemic,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, said in a statement. “This funding will help health centers leverage the latest technology and innovations to expand access to quality primary care for underserved communities."
In the statement, HHS pointed out that in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, health centers have extended their use of virtual care to maintain access to vital services.
According to HHS, health centers reported substantial growth in the number of virtual visits from 478,333 in 2019 to 28,550,608 in 2020, a 6,000% increase. And the number of health centers offering virtual visits jumped by 130%, climbing from from 592 in 2019 to 1,362 in 2022.
The new awards will allow health centers to maintain an expanded level of virtual care and identify and implement new digital strategies, according to HHS.
“Today’s awards will help ensure that new ways to deliver primary care are reaching the communities that need it most,” HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson said in the same statement. “Our funding will help health centers continue to expand their virtual work while maintaining their vital in-person services in communities across the country.”
HHS reports that as of late January, health centers have delivered more than 19.2 million vaccine doses, with 68% going to racial or ethnic minority patients.
In addition, more than 90% of health center patients are individuals or families living at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines and approximately 62% are racial/ethnic minorities, according to HHS.
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