Cornell Center for Health Equity receives $150K federal grant to improve telehealth

The Diversity Center of Excellence of the Cornell Center for Health Equity has received a $150K federal grant to support increased health professions workforce training with a focus on telehealth and distance learning capabilities in response to COVID-19. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded $15 million to 159 organizations across five health workforce programs to increase telehealth capabilities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

These awards are funded through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act signed into law on Friday, March 27, 2020. HRSA made awards to organizations based on their capacity to implement COVID-19 telehealth activities that train professionals across the health care team. This will enable health professionals to maximize telehealth for COVID-19 referrals for screening and testing, case management, outpatient care, and other essential care during the crisis. Additionally, through increased telehealth capabilities from this funding, organizations will be able to maintain primary care services when clinics and medical facilities are not available, especially for COVID-19 positive, quarantined, elderly and other vulnerable populations.

Our funding will be used for curriculum development of clinical training regarding COVID-19, including distance learning; with a focus on telehealth, health disparities and equity issues in COVID-19; and faculty and student research training focused on COVID-19 in minority and underserved populations, treatment, and prevention.

HRSA’s Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW) oversees the workforce programs that received awards today. The five BHW programs that received funding are:

  • Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program
  • Area Health Education Centers Program
  • Centers of Excellence Program
  • Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention – Veteran Nurses in Primary Care Training Program
  • Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention – Registered Nurses in Primary Care Training Program