Konza Prairie Community Health Center was recently awarded grant funding from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to improve healthcare technology and access to care.
Konza received $488,176 for connected devices and technology services that will expand telehealth services in the region. Telehealth has become a progressively valuable tool for patients to access care throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Connected devices and improved information technology infrastructure enables Konza providers to treat patients remotely not only for COVID-19, but also for other chronic health conditions as well.
“Technology continues to be an increasingly important factor in healthcare delivery,” said Lee Wolf, Konza CEO. “At Konza, we like to say we are just people taking care of people. To do that, we must ensure our information technology infrastructure and the resources available to staff are the highest quality and up to date. This funding will enable Konza to better equip our patients to monitor their chronic conditions from home and expand access to high quality remote care throughout the region.”
As a Federally Qualified Health Center, Konza clinics have been providing telehealth services since before the COVID-19 pandemic. “Konza provides care to patients from more than 35 zip codes throughout the region,” said Dani Hallgren, Konza COO. “The COVID-19 pandemic increased the importance of telehealth services, but there has always been a need for convenient, high-quality healthcare options in rural and remote areas of Kansas. This funding gives our clinics the opportunity to offer patients healthcare in a way that works best for them.”
The funding comes from the Federal Communications Commission’s COVID-19 Telehealth Program – part of the CARES Act – which awarded 75 health care providers nationwide with $42,163,705 in funding for telecommunications services, information services, and connected devices necessary to enable telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Konza is the only Kansas healthcare provider to receive an award for this round of funding.