Raleigh, NC – CarolinaLink, North Carolina’s Broadband Cooperative Coalition, announced a $500,000 commitment and 10-year partnership with UNC Children’s Hospital to support rural virtual health programs across the state. The gift will help UNC Children’s launch a telemedicine program that connects children living in rural areas with specialty providers at UNC Children’s Hospital in Chapel Hill.
“Our CarolinaLink partners were excited to make this gift to UNC Children’s Hospital,” said Dwight Allen, Executive Vice President for the Coalition. “Their mission to serve children in rural communities throughout the state aligns with our collective mission of connecting rural families with state-of-the-art broadband. Together, this initiative has the potential to make an incredible impact on families in rural North Carolina.”
UNC Children’s has already begun forging partnerships with other health systems and pediatric offices in communities across the state to launch the telehealth programs. Locations will be selected in areas where it is more difficult to travel to the Triangle for pediatric specialty services.
“By partnering with rural pediatric clinics and other rural care providers, we’ll be able to bring specialty care closer to home for these children and their families,” said Michael Steiner, MD, MPH, Pediatrician in Chief at UNC Children’s Hospital. “We are grateful for the commitment and support from CarolinaLink and we are excited to launch this new telehealth program.”
“The ability to provide the best care to more families will have such a positive impact on the health and wellness of children in North Carolina,” said UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz. “I look forward to seeing the great things that come of this new program.”
CarolinaLink is made up of North Carolina’s seven broadband membership cooperatives who provide advanced technology services to many of the state’s most rural areas. The seven members include ATMC, Randolph Communications, RiverStreet Networks, SkyLine/SkyBest, Star Communications, Surry Communications and Yadtel.
For more information about the UNC Children’s Outreach Initiative Fund, visit www.unchealthfoundation.org. To learn more about CarolinaLink and their members, visit www.carolinalink.org.
About CarolinaLink
CarolinaLink is an advocacy group for the North Carolina Broadband Cooperative Coalition (NCBCC). NCBCC is made up of the North Carolina’s seven Broadband Membership Cooperatives, who together provide advanced technology services to many of the state’s most rural areas. Through CarolinaLink these companies advocate for public policy goals which improve the lives of North Carolinians living in rural areas, such as ensuring access to state-of-the-art communications services at reasonable prices, whatever their address. CarolinaLink member companies include ATMC, Randolph Communications, RiverStreet Networks, Skyline/Skybest, Star Communications, Surry Communications and Yadtel. For more information about CarolinaLink, visit carolinalink.org.
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