Closing the digital divide one anchor institution at a time.
SHLB Encourages Swift Distribution of COVID-19 Telehealth Funding January 19, 2021
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Alicja Johnson
Communications Manager
ajohnson@shlb.org
202-263-4626
Washington, D.C. (January 19, 2021) - In comments filed today, the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition urged the Federal Communications Commission to start accepting applications for the second round of COVID-19 Telehealth Program funding as soon as possible. The comments offer several suggestions to help the FCC award funding both fairly and efficiently.
John Windhausen Jr., executive director of the SHLB Coalition, made the following statement:
“The Commission’s execution of the initial COVID-19 Telehealth Program was remarkably smooth, given the challenges of trying to jumpstart a critical funding mechanism in the middle of a global pandemic. Unfortunately, some states did not receive any funding, and the criteria for making decisions was not as transparent as it could have been. The second new round of sorely-needed funding presents an opportunity to support the healthcare providers on the frontlines of the pandemic by broadening the distribution of funding and focusing on medically-underserved areas.”
The SHLB Coalition filed its comments in response to the FCC’s January 6 public notice. At a high-level, SHLB proposes the following recommendations:
- Make every area of the country eligible for funding, as the coronavirus is everywhere.
- If it becomes necessary to prioritize certain regions for funding, give preference to the medically-underserved areas that face doctor shortages and other healthcare-related challenges.
- Avoid capping the award of funding at $1 million per applicant, as some large applicants may represent multiple smaller healthcare providers.
- Establish an application window with a specific deadline of March 15, instead of accepting applications on a rolling basis.
- Provide additional resources and staffing to the Universal Service Administrative Company to administer the program.
- Allow applicants to demonstrate their eligibility for funding on their applications, instead of requiring a form 460 pre-approval.
- To help cash-starved health organizations, allow applicants to receive reimbursement before having to pay the invoice for eligible equipment and services.
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About SHLB:
The SHLB Coalition is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) advocacy organization that supports open, affordable, high-quality broadband connections for anchor institutions and their surrounding communities. The SHLB Coalition is based in Washington, D.C. and has a diverse membership of commercial and non-commercial organizations from across the United States. To learn more, visit www.shlb.org.