FCC grant to help Blessing expand telemedicine, patient remote monitoring

Blessing Health System has secured a $393,012 federal grant to expand its telemedicine and patient remote monitoring technologies.

Two Blessing projects were among 36 projects nationwide selected to receive funding from the Federal Communications Commission’s “Connected Care Grant,” a pilot program that will provide funding for selected projects to cover 85 percent of the eligible costs of broadband connectivity, network equipment and information services necessary to provide connected care services to the intended patient population.

Blessing will buy the hardware needed to expand its use of remote patient monitoring and treatment equipment, as well as video technology to treat chronic, long-term and behavioral health conditions. The projects would serve an estimated 1,900 patients, all of whom are considered low-income.

An FCC news release on the grants noted “Blessing Health System was chosen for its focus on delivering mental health services and remote patient monitoring to low-income patients in rural areas.”

“Blessing has long been committed to bringing healthcare to its patients, whenever and wherever possible, as opposed to always making patients come to the provider,” said Dr. Irshad Siddiqui, executive vice president and chief of information technology and innovation at Blessing Health System.

“During the pandemic, our ability to provide convenient care access grew as telemedicine technologies became a vital and successful way of providing many types of care. Blessing’s new projects are an extension of its commitment to care access, and to the innovations that today’s patients, particularly those in rural areas, need to maintain and improve their health.”

Blessing’s two Connected Care Grant projects are expected to be operational by January 1, 2022.