Senator Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, is calling for any changes made to accommodate telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic to be made permanent following new data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) demonstrating the expanding use of telehealth services to avoid the virus. […]

Per a July 16 inspector general (IG) report, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) saw use of VA Video Connect increase from 79 calls per week to over 1,100 per week at just one of its facilities during the coronavirus pandemic, despite some bandwidth and scheduling issues reported by facility leaders. […]

While the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced last week that it awarded the final $10 million under its $200 million COVID-19 Telehealth Program authorized by the CARES Act, FCC Chairman Ajit Pail talked today about the success of the program, and expressed hope that lawmakers authorize similar programs in the future that will allow the commission to distribute funding quickly. […]

As part of the President’s Management Agenda (PMA), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is tacking to major IT priorities – improving the veteran experience with VA.gov and expanding telehealth services. As part of its July update, the Department reported on how the VA is progressing towards achieving its agency priority goals. […]

While the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has left a flurry of cybersecurity risks in its wake targeting healthcare and other sectors, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has scarcely missed a beat in carrying out its mission to protect the U.S. from cyber threats. […]

With the rise in telework, distance learning, and telehealth, the COVID-19 pandemic has shown a spotlight on the importance of broadband connectivity. In a move to promote broadband expansion in rural America, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Technology Engagement Center (C_TEC) released nine policy principles to close the digital divide. […]

The National Institutes of Health announced June 15 that it has launched a new data analytics platform to track COVID-19 patient data. […]

The G-7 Science and Technology Ministers recognized that a global pandemic will require a global response. […]

Does it really take a team of rocket scientists to rapidly engineer a top-notch line of personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect against COVID-19 spread? And then to open source its production designs for the benefit of anyone with access to a 3D printer? […]

The National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering and National Cancer Institute are looking to develop digital health solutions to address COVID-19 as well as advance new research in digital health technologies to improve public health responses. […]

In a recent report, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) highlighted some of the key variables necessary in COVID-19 vaccine development and what the Federal government is currently working on. […]

In a letter to the Department of Transportation (DoT) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., and Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., called for the expansion of drone use to facilitate contact-free delivery of medical supplies and other needed equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic. […]

The latest COVID-19 relief legislation being prepared by House Democrats – the HEROES Act – proposes $1 billion for the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) to help Federal agencies improve their information technology systems. […]

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has continued to harness innovation for diagnostics, treatment, and prevention and have launched the Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) last week, as a national initiative for COVID-19 diagnostics. […]

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai called telehealth investments and advancements the “silver lining” of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic at a May 6 Brookings Institution webinar. […]

The United States’ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the United Kingdom’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) have jointly issued a cybersecurity warning for healthcare organizations in both countries. […]

The General Services Administration (GSA) and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) – part of the National Institutes of Health – are teaming up to modernize IT operations at NICHD. […]

House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Ranking Member Frank Lucas, R-Okla., introduced legislation April 23 to support the Federal research enterprise’s ability to fight COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. […]

Taking the kids to their doctor’s appointments may become easier – and a lot more fun – as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) seeks to turn pediatric onboarding into a video game with real-life rewards. […]

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) updated its request for an on-premise cloud provider to support National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences’ (NIEHS) research environment. […]

As political leaders and public health experts look to both stem the spread of COVID-19 and work towards economic recovery, the use of contact tracing for those testing positive for the novel coronavirus has come to the forefront. While he praised the idea of contact tracing, Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., urged Vice President Mike Pence to data privacy at the forefront of any policy decisions. […]

In a Department of Defense (DoD) press conference on April 22, U.S. Air Force General John E. Hyten and Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist laid out a four-tiered testing program for service members. […]

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Defense Department (DoD), and Federal Electronic Health Records Modernization (FEHRM) program office launched a modernized health data sharing capability which will enhance both VA’s and DoD’s ability to securely exchange records with community health care partners. […]

Amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, more patients and healthcare providers are switching to telehealth to reduce the spread of the virus. […]

Here’s an overview of some of the latest developments on the government and tech fronts due to COVID-19. […]

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is teaming up with the American Red Cross and Facebook to provide Portal video calling devices to veterans, caregivers, and families as social distancing guidance remains in place. […]

The majority of Americans consider the spread of disease and cyberattacks to be among the top international threats facing the country, according to a Pew Research Center report released April 13. […]

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and “innovators across the globe” are testing 3D designs of medical equipment used by healthcare professionals in the fight against the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. […]

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is seeking proposals for a $40 billion, 15-year IT contract – including health, biomedical, and general services – as it integrates its medical systems with the agency’s broader IT infrastructure. […]

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is seeing a “dramatic jump” in use of its virtual mental healthcare services as the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic makes it difficult for veterans to travel to VA facilities for care. […]