The John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii has been given $320,535, which will go towards its new telehealth pilot project.
U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) announced the award, praising the school for its work in this relatively new arena, which was brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) was just awarded more than $320,000 to launch a new project that will use telehealth to connect an estimated 1,000 patients across Hawaii with health care providers. Through video visits and remote treatment, JABSOM’s project will focus on reaching low-income patients, veterans and patients in rural areas with care for a range of conditions -- including mental health, opioid dependency and maternal health," Schatz wrote in a June 22 Facebook post. "We saw during the pandemic that telehealth is key to more people getting the care they need, when and where they need it. I look forward to seeing the work JABSOM does to expand telehealth services to more people in Hawaii."
The Universal Service Fund is providing up to $100 million over a three-year period, according to Maui Now.
The project will make it possible for patients to interact with their caregivers virtually through video and receive remote treatment options.