CONGRESSMAN JOE MORELLE ANNOUNCES GRANT FOR UR MEDICINE TO EXPAND TELEHEALTH SERVICES

(Rochester, NY) - Today, Congressman Joe Morelle announced the University of Rochester will receive a nearly $1 million Federal Communications Commission (FCC) grant to expand their telehealth services. 72 healthcare providers received these FCC Telehealth grants nationwide as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Rep. Morelle helped pass in Congress last year.

"We know the important role telehealth has played during the COVID-19 pandemic and we need to do everything possible to reduce the burden on our providers and facilities," said Congressman Morelle. "Expanding Telehealth has long been a priority of mine, which is why I became a member of the Congressional Telehealth Caucus. I'm so proud I was able to facilitate this grant for UR Medicine and will continue working with our local healthcare providers to expand access to care and improve outcomes for patients, especially during the ongoing global health crisis."

"Telehealth has provided UR Medicine patients in both urban and rural communities with a safe, convenient, and efficient way to access health services during the COVID-19 pandemic. This grant will help our clinicians to more closely monitor patient symptoms in the early phases of COVID-19 recovery, enabling them to identify and treat complications before they become severe and potentially require hospitalization. Our teams will also be able to monitor patients with "long-hauler" COVID-19 symptoms, as more becomes known about that condition, helping them to achieve better health outcomes as we learn more about the long-term impacts of this disease. We thank Representative Morelle for supporting this important program and the University of Rochester Medical Center's efforts to improve health care in the region we serve." – Dr. Mark B. Taubman, CEO, University of Rochester Medical Center and Dean, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry

In addition to monitoring COVID-19 patients, this grant will allow UR Medicine to:

• Observe Home Care patients using digital technologies.
• Increase telehealth capacity for patients across the sixteen counties of the Finger Lakes and Southern Tier