The Federal Communications Commission has awarded New Jersey-based provider United Methodist Communities a $909,560 grant to fund a remote patient-monitoring platform and telehealth software licenses for its skilled nursing unit.
The platform and licenses will help prevent falls and other dangerous conditions by providing remote consultations for residents, the FCC announcement last week.
The remote patient-monitoring platform and telehealth software also can help providers dealing with worker shortages or other COVID-19 impacts that delay or prevent access to speciality or nursing care.
The federal government has eased several telehealth restrictions under Medicare during the coronavirus pandemic in an effort to drastically reduce in-person monitoring and doctor, and in turn, prevent the disease from spreading in facilities.
Larry Carlson, president and CEO of United Methodist Communities, said he was “totally stoked” about the company’s grant funding.
“This funding may very well be a game-changer not only for UMC, but for the senior living industry,” Carlson said.
United Methodist Communities was one of 53 applicants approved during the latest round of grant funding through the FCC’s COVID-19 Telehealth Program, which was authorized by the CARES Act. To date, it has approved about $68.22 million in funding for more than 185 healthcare providers.
