By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    stress management for healthcare workers
    3 Tips For Healthcare Professionals: How To Stay Beautiful, Healthy, and Happy
    November 2, 2021
    importance of relaxing on the weekend for your health
    Importance of Relaxing During the Weekend for Optimal Health
    March 25, 2022
    LASIK Eye Surgery
    What Is LASIK Eye Surgery?
    May 16, 2022
    Latest News
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
    The Wide-Ranging Benefits of Magnesium Supplements
    June 11, 2025
    The Best Home Remedies for Migraines
    June 5, 2025
    The Hidden Impact Of Stress On Your Body’s Alignment And Balance
    May 22, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    The PCMH and Home Care Data: An Interview with Melissa McCormack
    December 19, 2013
    IT Strategy for Health Plans: Interview with ikaSystems CEO Joe Marabito
    August 11, 2014
    A New Kind of Stress Test
    May 26, 2015
    Latest News
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
    Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
    June 25, 2025
    When Healthcare Ends, the Legal Process Begins: What Families Should Know About Probate and Medical Estates
    June 20, 2025
    Preventing Contamination In Healthcare Facilities Starts With Hygiene
    June 15, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: FCC Chairman: A Telemedicine Convert?
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > eHealth > FCC Chairman: A Telemedicine Convert?
eHealth

FCC Chairman: A Telemedicine Convert?

rdowney14
rdowney14
Share
4 Min Read
SHARE

Now that the FCC, after two years of foot-dragging, has finally approved the plan to spend the $400 million appropriated for broadband expansion in rural areas, you might get the idea that the FCC Chairman has been on board from the start.

Now that the FCC, after two years of foot-dragging, has finally approved the plan to spend the $400 million appropriated for broadband expansion in rural areas, you might get the idea that the FCC Chairman has been on board from the start.

Julius Genachowski, who became the FCC Chairman in 2009, wrote a blog post for LinkedIn on Monday, titled “Telemedicine to Transform Healthcare for Underserved and Rural Communities.”  It’s a first-person account of his trip to the Oakland Children’s Hospital and Research Center.  He says all the right things, how telemedicine will “completely transform health care infrastructure in our country, improving quality of care for patients, while shaving billions of dollars off patient and healthcare system costs.”  While there, he “was pleased to discuss” the FCC’s Healthcare Connect Fund which will subsidize 65% of the cost to connect rural health centers and clinics to the Internet.

Perhaps he was responsible for getting the FCC off the dime and doesn’t agree with FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn who said the cut in the subsidy from 85% to 65% was to “prevent wasteful spending.”  I’m prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt, even if he were a recent convert to the benefits that telemedicine can bring to rural communities.  Still, I think the FCC has made it more difficult for connectivity to expand for healthcare by reducing the subsidy.

More Read

Data Breach Analysis 2009-2012 – HITECH Experience Reviewed by HITRUST
5 Plastic Surgery Marketing Tactics to Boost New Patient Response
The Benefit of Being a Vocal Cancer Patient
Why Dental Offices Need a Custom Mobile Application?
Genuine Hospital Content Can Generate New Patients

I don’t think broadband Internet connectivity for personal use should be another entitlement warranting a subsidy.  It should remain a privilege, not a right.  Afterall, most people already have smartphones that can surf the Net.  But when it comes to providing access to healthcare that benefits a community in an equitable way, I think the FCC could have and should have kept the subsidy at 85%.  The only facilities that can apply for the subsidy beginning this coming summer are public and non-profit hospitals, rural health clinics, community health centers, health centers serving migrants, community mental health centers, local health departments or agencies and teaching hospitals.

Teleneurology alone can save thousands of dollars in future costs of just one person’s healthcare by diagnosing a stroke within the first three hours of the onset of symptoms.  Tissue Plasminogen Activator (tPA), a clot-busting drug, can help preserve a stroke patient’s quality of life if started within that window.  According to the American Academy of Neurology, the average American lives an hour away from the nearest neurologist.  Those in rural communities live much farther away than that.  And we’re sort of presuming people know who and where their nearest neurologists are. The true benefit of telemedicine is getting the right patient to the right treatment at the right time – sooner rather than later.

TAGGED:FCCtelemedicine
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

9 Lifestyle Tweaks That Can Add Years to Your Life
9 Healthcare Lifestyle Tweaks That can Add Years to Your Life
lifestyle
July 11, 2025
car accident lawsuit
Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
Policy & Law
July 6, 2025
women dental care
What Is a Smile Makeover and How Much Does It Cost?
Dental health
June 30, 2025
HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps
Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
Global Healthcare Policy & Law Technology
June 25, 2025

You Might also Like

Collaboration, Consolidation Should Define 2014 for Health Tracking Wearables, Apps

January 3, 2014

Address Workplace Stress with Help from a Digital Coaching Program

May 29, 2013

Rise Of The Digital Doctor [Infographic]

December 19, 2011

What’s Been Happening in mHealth: Update

October 19, 2012
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?