Ramona Midkiff

Dr. Ariel Santos (on the screen) director of the telemedicine program at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, does a skin cancer screening on a patient

Source: VOA

WASHINGTON — 

During the coronavirus pandemic, telemedicine became a virtual phenomenon. As people remained in their homes during the pandemic, they began chatting with their doctors over the phone or video platforms on subjects such as chronic disease management, ongoing medical support, mental health issues and specialty care.

To reach their patients, many health professionals had to figure out quickly how to set up their first online systems for telemedicine, also known as telehealth.

“Doctors hadn’t provided it as an option previously because the infrastructure and technology wasn’t widely available,” said Dr. Shira Fischer, a physician policy researcher at the RAND Corp., which has conducted surveys asking Americans whether they use telehealth.

Fisher noted that in a February 2019 survey, less than 4% of the respondents said they used video telehealth. But two years later during the pandemic, that number had skyrocketed to 45%.

“I think telehealth is great,” said Michael Wu, a restaurant manager who lives in Alexandria, Virginia. “When I have a cold or the flu, I don’t have to take time off work to go to the doctor’s office for an exam, and maybe to get medication. It’s easier for me to have a video appointment with my doctor using my cellphone.”

Here to stay

Many health professionals think telemedicine is here to stay.

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Source: Michaela Leung, MUSC Health

MUSC Health offers a new, convenient specialty telehealth option so rheumatology and endocrinology patients can get the quality care they need and deserve — from the comfort of home.

Let’s be honest, Charleston — sometimes it feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day. Even when life is busy, though, our health should be one of our top priorities. Enter: MUSC Health’s brand new Virtual Specialty Care service, which offers at-home appointment convenience for new and existing rheumatology and endocrinology patients. The Virtual Specialty Care service is a welcomed addition to MUSC Health’s already existing telehealth options.

Whether it’s difficulty in traveling, taking time off from work, social anxiety, or the fear of long wait times, telehealth services are designed to remove any restrictions that might be keeping people from seeing the provider they need. Patients can access MUSC’s dedicated virtual team for the care they need with a variety of telehealth options available 24 hours a day, seven days a week from the comfort of home. Available services now include:

• Urgent care: Did you know? Telehealth visits for urgent care are free for SC state employees and MUSC employees who elect PEBA for health insurance. Urgent care-related conditions include allergies, colds, skin rashes, COVID-19, and more.
• Specialty care: MUSC Health now offers virtual visits for rheumatology and endocrinology. This is also a good option for patients with autoimmune diseases, connective tissue diseases, thyroid conditions, or diabetes. Telehealth visits for specialty care services will bill your insurance. Depending on your insurance plan, you may be responsible for any co-pays.

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Written by: Elizabeth Merritt

Celebrating the launch of telehealth services that will increase access to quality health care. 

 Bamberg, S.C., March 29, 2023 – Palmetto Care Connections (PCC), a non-profit organization that brings technology, broadband, and telehealth solutions to health care providers in rural and underserved areas in South Carolina, celebrated the launch of telehealth services at the Bamberg County Office on Aging in Bamberg, S.C. on Monday, March 27.  

“We are so proud of the work that we do and are always looking to do more,” says Bamberg County Office on Aging Director Kay Clary. “To start telehealth is exciting for us. I hope that the seniors will take advantage of it and I feel like it’s moving us more towards the future in this area. We are pleased to be working with Palmetto Care Connections with the installment of telehealth and hope our community enjoys it.” 

Event speakers included Director Kay Clary of Bamberg County Office on Aging, Connie Munn, Director of South Carolina Department on Aging, South Carolina Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette, South Carolina State House Representative Mark Smith, South Carolina Senator Brad Hutto, and Kathy Schwarting, Chief Executive Officer of PCC. 

“As we know, particularly with Bamberg, many areas in South Carolina are rural and we’ve seen the hospitals close. To be able to have that type of telehealth offered here at the Bamberg Office on Aging is phenomenal,” says Connie Munn, director of the South Carolina Department on Aging.    

Representative Mark Smith, along with Senator Brad Hutto, presented a house resolution honoring and celebrating Palmetto Care Connections for increasing medical care to the underserved. 

“It has taken public-private partnership to make this happen today. This is a beautiful example of how it can work beautifully when executed well,” says Representative Mark Smith.   

Providing quality health care could not be possible without internet access. Keynote Speaker and South Carolina Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette recognized the importance of getting broadband out to rural areas to address the needs of South Carolina citizens.  

“I am proud to tell you that over the course of the post-pandemic we’ve spent $480 million getting broadband out to our rural areas. Money that will take broadband down to the last mile,” says South Carolina Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette.  

The launch of telehealth services at the Bamberg County Office on Aging also celebrates the seniors who have learned how to use telehealth through PCC’s Digital Literacy program.  

“We have today trained over 1,000 rural and underserved residents in South Carolina,” says Kathy Schwarting, chief executive officer of PCC.  In 13 counties, we’ve given out over 1,000 devices and we’ve helped over 1,000 people get Internet access; that is very important to us.” 

For more information on Palmetto Care Connections, visit https://www.palmettocareconnections.org/.  

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About Palmetto Care Connections 

Established in 2010, Palmetto Care Connections (PCC) is a non-profit organization that brings technology, broadband, and telehealth solutions to health care providers in rural and underserved areas in South Carolina. PCC assists providers in keeping health care local and increasing quality services to underserved South Carolinians. For more information, visit https://www.palmettocareconnections.org/. 

Website: https://www.palmettocareconnections.org/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/palmettocareconnections/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/palmettocareconnections/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/palmettocaresc 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/palmetto-care-connections/ 

Palmetto Care Connections has reached an incredible milestone of training 1,000 graduates from its Digital Literacy program. This achievement is more than a number; it represents closing a digital divide in South Carolina’s rural communities, one life at a time.    

After participating in PCC’s Digital Literacy class, Ms. Vera Cribb reached out asking for her class photo so she could frame it. She proceeded to share how grateful she was for the course. Since then, she has been able to renew her license in health insurance and now has a job with Aflac, where she uses her computer and knowledge from the digital literacy class every day.   

While this story is unique to Cribb, she is not the only participant that has been positively impacted by PCC. 
 
“PCC has been blessed to be a part of providing Digital Literacy to the 13 rural counties in meeting this milestone,” said Tara Stokes, PCC’s digital inclusion coordinator. “Digital Literacy training began with our senior population but quickly became a need for adults of all ages.” 

The goal of this program is to help increase internet access and affordability and connect individuals to quality-of-life resources through digital literacy courses. The ability to reach 1,000 graduates is an achievement that celebrates technology and telehealth solutions being brought to rural South Carolina.  
  
“PCC is so proud to reach this milestone,” said Kathy Schwarting, chief executive officer of PCC. “We are so grateful to engage with our communities and assist them with better access to health care services. Education is the key to many of the problems we face every day, and this program is living proof!”  
  
While PCC has greatly affected 1,000 graduates through its Digital Literacy program, that same number has mutually changed the lives of its staff.  
 
“The impact has been instrumental in participants having better access to their healthcare providers, improving their education now that they have a digital device to go back to college, and self-confidence in a world that is quickly evolving to a digital world,” said Stokes. “I can personally say that these participants have impacted me in so many ways. They are awesome!”  

Source:  U.S. Department of The Treasury

To date, 34 states have been approved to invest approximately $5 billion of Capital Projects Funds, which those states estimate will reach more than 1.4 million locations

WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced the approval of broadband projects in South Carolina under the Capital Projects Fund in President Biden’s American Rescue Plan. The state estimates it will use its funding to connect over 31,000 homes and businesses to affordable, high-speed internet. A key priority of the Capital Projects Fund program is to make funding available for reliable, affordable broadband infrastructure, advancing President Biden’s goal of affordable, reliable, high-speed internet for all Americans.

The Capital Projects Fund (CPF) provides $10 billion to states, territories, freely associated states, and Tribal governments to fund critical capital projects that enable work, education, and health monitoring in response to the public health emergency. In addition to the $10 billion provided by the CPF, many governments are using a portion of their State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) toward meeting the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal of connecting every American household to affordable, reliable high-speed internet. Together, these American Rescue Plan programs and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are working in tandem to close the digital divide – deploying high-speed internet to those without access and lowering costs for those who cannot afford it.

“The pandemic upended life as we knew it and exposed the stark inequity in access to affordable and reliable high-speed internet in communities across the country, including rural, Tribal, and other underrepresented communities,” said Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo. “This funding is a key piece of the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic investments to increase access to high-speed internet for millions of Americans and provide more opportunities to fully participate and compete in the 21st century economy.”

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Source: Gray Communications/Channel 12/26

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Vice President Kamala Harris promoted the Biden administration’s achievements on broadband internet access during a visit to South Carolina, recently minted as the site of Democrats’ first presidential votes of the 2024 campaign.

In Monday’s trip, her fourth to the early-voting state since becoming vice president, Harris lauded more than $175 million being spent to help improve high-speed internet infrastructure at historically Black colleges and institutions, which she called “centers of academic excellence.”

“Many of those that we focus on currently do not have reliable access to high-speed internet on campus,” said Harris, herself a graduate of an HBCU. “This means that more students will be able to use the internet for their everyday needs.”

She said the investments “will be transformative because we know when we connect people with high-speed internet, we connect them with opportunity.”

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Source: HHS.gov

Based on current COVID-19 trends, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is planning for the federal Public Health Emergency (PHE) for COVID-19, declared under Section 319 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, to expire at the end of the day on May 11, 2023. Our response to the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, remains a public health priority, but thanks to the Administration’s whole of government approach to combatting the virus, we are in a better place in our response than we were three years ago, and we can transition away from the emergency phase.

Over the last two years, the Biden Administration has effectively implemented the largest adult vaccination program in U.S. history, with nearly 270 million Americans receiving at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine.

As a result of this and other efforts, since the peak of the Omicron surge at the end of January 2022:

• Daily COVID-19 reported cases are down 92%,
• COVID-19 deaths have declined by over 80%, and
• New COVID-19 hospitalizations are down nearly 80%.

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