The Washington, D.C.-based Federal Communications Commission has dedicated over $417 million for the construction of 69 statewide or regional broadband telehealth networks in 42 states and three U.S. territories under the Rural Health Care Pilot Program (RHCPP).
The healthcare facilities participating in the Pilot Program include: hospitals, clinics, universities and research centers, behavioral health sites, correctional facility clinics, and community health centers. Participants are required to implement, "where feasible," health information technology standards as set forth by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Participants are eligible for universal service funding to support up to 85 percent of the costs associated with the design, engineering and construction of their broadband healthcare networks. These networks may connect to the public Internet or to one of the nation's dedicated Internet backbones: Internet2 or National LambdaRail, the FCC stated.
In order to ensure quality and efficiency, all projects must be competitively bid, and are subject to quarterly reviews, and stringent oversight and audits.
