Overview

In September 2006 the FCC announced that it would provide funding to enhance public and non-profit health care providers’ access to advanced telecommunications and information services. In May of 2007 the Michigan Public Health Institute and the Michigan Departments of Community Health and Information Technology, along with various other institutions and organizations, submitted Michigan’s proposal to the FCC. 

Michigan’s proposal calls for a network that is adaptive, affordable, reliable, secure and scalable that will meet the needs of health care now and into the future.  Any health care provider in the rural area of focus can participate, but only eligible non-profit providers can receive the federal funds.   

On November 19th, 2007, Michigan was awarded $20,910,000 over three years from the FCC. MPHI will serve as the states primary point of contact and will oversee the project. This will include overseeing the centralized competitive bidding and contracting. The program uses Universal Service Fund to cover up to 85% of building and installing new infrastructure and hooking up medical facilities. The remaining 15% must be raised locally.

Under the Pilot all funds must be competitively bid using the Universal Service Fund process.  Michigan’s plans to take a state-wide approach and release one Request for Proposal (RFP) to cover all sites in the state.  Michigan hopes to have the RFP released early in the fall.