Sign In
Upcoming Event
Free Newsletter
Geisinger awarded $978,000 to improve telehealth services
Ioannis Pashakis//July 8, 2020
Montour County-based Geisinger was awarded $978,000 from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to put towards equipment for the system’s telehealth services.
Geisinger, which operates Geisinger Holy Spirit in East Pennsboro Township, Cumberland County, announced it would be using the funds to purchase telemedicine carts, tablet computers and other equipment for telemedicine such as hand-held cameras and stethoscopes.
The system’s telehealth visits have skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, with providers conducting twice as many visits daily as the system’s monthly total, Geisinger wrote in a press release.
“Telehealth technology has allowed Geisinger providers to connect with patients while minimizing physical contact during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said David Fletcher, associate vice president for telehealth at Geisinger. “This ensures that our patients can maintain routine healthcare appointments, manage chronic conditions, and stay healthier overall even while staying at home.”
Geisinger is one of 514 organizations to receive awards through the department’s COVID-19 Telehealth program, which has already awarded $189.27 million in funding to health care providers across the country.
UPMC Pinnacle also received funding through the program and intends to use the $705,000 to purchase telehealth equipment as well as launch an on-demand virtual telehealth program for COVID-19 patients.
