WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Kay Granger (R-TX), top Republican on the House Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement after the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)'s Health Resources and Services Administration awarded $90,625 to the University of North Texas Health Science Center to increase telehealth capabilities in response to the coronavirus. These funds come directly from the ‘Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act’, the third coronavirus relief package that President Trump signed into law on March 27.

"The persistence of the coronavirus pandemic has turned America’s hospitals into riskier places for healthcare workers and patients alike. To meet this challenge, the Trump Administration and America’s public and private hospitals have made great strides in telehealth, through mobilizing digital platforms to provide healthcare services remotely.

"I’m pleased to see that the University of North Texas Health Science Center will receive over $90,000 from the Department of Health and Human Services to increase telehealth capabilities in response to this pandemic.

"UNT Health Science Center has been on the frontlines of our community’s response to the coronavirus, working with the City of Fort Worth, the Tarrant County Public Health Department, and other partners to create solutions for a healthier community, while preserving city and county public health infrastructure. For months, UNTHSC has played a key role in the expansion of testing for the virus in our area, and this new funding will help clinically train its health professionals in providing patients impacted by the virus with essential care and case management—where and when they need services.

"As the top Republican on the House Appropriations Committee, I will work to ensure that future coronavirus relief packages continue to secure the resources our hospitals and healthcare providers need to deliver critical treatment to those affected by this pandemic, including through the new innovations created by an enhanced telehealth infrastructure."