Hutchison Announces Over $30 Million in Grants for Texas Hospitals and Clinics

WASHINGTON – Texas’ senior Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) today announced $31492477 in Federal Communications Commission (FCC) grants to help Texas’ rural health care groups build high-speed internet networks. 

“These FCC grants will help provide our Texas health care workers with the tools they need to treat illnesses and save lives” Sen. Hutchison said.  “This funding will provide health care physicians with faster access to health records in the event of a medical emergency.”

The funding will help close the gap in technology access between rural and urban health care facilities.  Additionally these grants will allow rural physicians to utilize electronic medical records to more efficiently and cost-effectively manage chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease. 

The Southwest Telehealth Access Grid will receive $15561181 in FCC funding to build its telecommunications network and better distribute telemedicine clinical services and educational and training programs to approximately 60 facilities in Texas New Mexico and Colorado.

The Texas Health Information Network Collaboration will receive $11042096 to support physician-patient consultations distance education medical data management and medical records exchanges.

The Texas Healthcare Network will receive $4889200 to improve an existing network that serves approximately 40 primarily rural health care facilities in the state.