Tuesday, June 6, 2023
6/6/2023
Funding awarded through the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) FY 2022 RWHAP Part C Capacity Development Program will be utilized to strengthen infrastructure to respond to the changing health care landscape, due to the ongoing COVID pandemic. Furthermore, this investment will result in increased access to high quality HIV primary health care services for low-income, uninsured, and underserved people using telehealth services. The Mobile County Health Department’s Family Health Division (MCHD/FH) plans to utilize the funding for the following selected category and corresponding activities related to “Infrastructure Development.” MCHD/FH will utilize the $150,000 requested, for the one-year period of performance, to support the "Telehealth" category by funding the purchase of licenses for Tableau, which is a sophisticated computer software. MCHD/FH intends to implement the Tableau computer software to maximize the usage of telehealth services which will in turn improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of patient health care. Implementation of this software will increase the ability of the organization to respond to the changing health care landscape, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Utilizing this specialized computer software, the agency will be able to maximize patient convenience and break transportation barrier issues through the evaluation of care from Tableau. Tableau is a visual analytics platform transforming the way organizations use data to solve problems. Tableau empowers the agency to make the most of its data. Tableau offers a complete and integrated analytics platform and provides enablement resources to help agencies deploy and scale a data-driven culture that drives resilience and value through powerful outcomes. COVID has made data much more crucial in providing care. As we continue to endure the COVID pandemic, organizations around the world have c ollectively acknowledged that during the pandemic the demand for data and statistics are greater than ever and a critical part of building back a more equitable, sustainable, and resilient future, especially within the healthcare community. Common chronic conditions addressed by Health Center’s nationally, including HIV and AIDS, can also be a key indicator of negative outcomes when cooccurring with COVID-19 infection. Now, more than ever, access to healthcare has proven to be critical in not only addressing COVID-19 but also addressing the health issues that have become exacerbated due to avoiding clinical care. The influx of chronic issues that have arisen post COVID-19 onset are numerous and have an already overwhelmed medical staff scrambling to address emergent needs within the population. In this way, the rural population is at a disadvantage because of barriers to care, such as transportation and broadband accessibility for telehealth services. MCHD/FH has increased both capacity and infrastructure to offer telehealth services. The COVID-19 pandemic has placed a greater emphasis on utilizing telehealth services to maintain social distancing and reduce transmission events. This care modality has enabled Family Health to expand its outreach and accessibility. Telehealth is a major benefit to patients who face difficulties in accessing needed health care because of barriers. These include a lack of transportation or requirements to spend time away from work or family obligations to get to appointments at distant locations. Family Health offers telehealth specialty services for infectious disease visits with such entities as the University of South Alabama. These services are part of Ryan White Part B and two Ryan White Part C Programs. FH understands the importance of offering and continuing to offer telehealth encounters for this sub-population. But even more important than offering these services is evaluating those who could benefit from telehealth services v ia Tableau.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
