CentraCare to Receive More than $200,000 for Telehealth Services

(KNSI) — St. Cloud-based CentraCare Health is getting more than $200,000 to invest in telehealth services.

Minnesota Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar released a joint statement saying that the Federal Communications Commission awarded CentraCare $230,000 to buy telehealth equipment and software licenses to boost access to care and services.

According to a joint press release, Senator Klobuchar and Representative Angie Craig sent a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services “encouraging the agency to ensure Minnesotans can access telehealth services beyond the coronavirus pandemic.” the request came after the introduction of Klobuchar’s legislation with Republican Senator Shelley Moore Capito to “enhance telehealth support for seniors and increase access to technology for ‘virtual visits’ during the coronavirus pandemic.”

Klobuchar issued a statement saying, “Americans have benefited from telehealth during the pandemic and have come to rely on it for access to care, especially in rural communities. This funding will help CentraCare Health System expand its services and meet the needs of its patients. I’ll continue pushing for resources to ensure Minnesotans in all parts of our state are able to access affordable, quality health care.”

Senator Smith added, “In Minnesota, we have seen how telehealth services have become a lifeline during this pandemic. In communities across the state, access to telehealth has been a critically important way to ensure patients have access to health care services they can afford. This funding will go a long way towards advancing that effort.”

According to the Minnesota Department of Human Services’ Telemedicine Utilization Report, telemedicine utilization increased for most populations. “It served as an essential mechanism to support recipients and providers to provide safe care.”

The report says the Telemedicine Project Team learned there is a need to integrate telemedicine as a permanent modality in the delivery of services; provide training, assistance, and clarification in provider manual regarding use of telemedicine, and offer specific guidance for the Office of Inspector General on review of licensing standards around
telemedicine.

Read the full report here.

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