The Department of Health and Human Services has awarded community 29 health centers nearly $55 million to reach their underserved populations using telehealth, remote patient monitoring, health information technology platforms and other digital and virtual care tools.
The funds announced Monday will be distributed through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and aim to “enable health centers to sustain an expanded level of virtual care and identify and implement new digital strategies.”
According to HHS, the awards represent the latest of more than $7.3 billion in American Rescue Plan funding that has been provided to community health centers addressing COVID-19 during the past year.
“Virtual care has been a game-changer for patients, especially during the pandemic,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in the announcement. “This funding will help health centers leverage the latest technology and innovations to expand access to quality primary care for underserved communities. Today’s announcement reflects the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to advancing health equity and putting essential health care within reach for all Americans.”
The new money was awarded to community health centers spread across 14 states and Puerto Rico, according to the department’s records, and ranged in size from about $1.1 million to $2 million.
In its announcement, HHS highlighted the roughly 6,000% uptick in virtual care services being provided by community health centers throughout the past couple of years, from nearly 480,000 virtual visits in 2019 to 28.6 million in 2020.
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Additionally, the total number of health centers that offer virtual visits to their populations grew over 130% from 592 centers in 2019 to 1,362 in 2022, according to the department.
“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 a 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.”
HRSA-supported health centers are a key source of primary care, dental care, behavioral health services and, over the past few years, COVID-19 prevention services. More than 1,400 of these centers provide their services to 29 million patients annually, the majority of which are well below Federal Poverty Guidelines or are racial or ethnic minorities, according to HHS.
In remarks given Monday at the 2022 National Association of Community Health Centers Policy & Issues Forum, President Joe Biden and Becerra highlighted the $55 million and other recent awards as evidence of the administration’s continued support for these centers.
“This Administration is committed to being good partners to all of you. And this isn’t just lip service. [Biden is] taking action,” Becerra said during the event. “Thanks to his leadership, HHS is more empowered than ever to help you make changes and save lives. And the proof of our commitment to health centers is clear. That’s why we awarded more than $7.3 billion in American Rescue Plan funding to nearly 1,400 community health centers nationwide to mitigate COVID-19 and expand health services.”
HHS and HRSA have been busy distributing pandemic relief funds to community health centers and other provider organizations. In the past month, the federal groups announced $66.5 million in awards for community-based vaccination programs, $103 million to blunt healthcare workforce burnout and the release of $2 billion more in Provider Relief Fund payments.