WICKER, HYDE-SMITH & GUEST WELCOME MORE THAN $4 MILLION FOR MISSISSIPPI TELEHEALTH EFFORTS
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and U.S. Representative Michael Guest (R-Miss.) today celebrated a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services decision to award the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) a $4.25 million grant for a five-year redesignation as a Telehealth Center of Excellence.
Wicker, Hyde-Smith, and Guest fought for the Telehealth Centers of Excellence program funding during the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations cycle. This program is designed for a five-year window, meaning UMMC will be eligible to receive subsequent awards over the next few years.
“The University of Mississippi Medical Center has been a pioneer in telehealth care, and they will put this funding to work for Mississippi and the nation,” said Senator Wicker. “Telehealth is a lifeline for rural states like ours. This option bridges healthcare divides, bringing providers to senior citizens, busy parents, or those living far from a clinic.”
“As one of two telehealth centers for excellence nationally, UMMC continues to set the pace in expanding telehealth access and its effectiveness as a tool to promote wellness. It’s a pleasure to work with Senator Wicker and Congressman Guest to ensure that federal resources for this good work are maintained,” said Senator Hyde-Smith, who serves on the Senate appropriations subcommittee that funds HHS.
“UMMC has long been a national leader in telehealth. I am proud to represent UMMC in the U.S. House and to advocate for this Telehealth Centers of Excellence program funding. UMMC’s telehealth program will continue to be of great service to Mississippians and serve as a national model, and I am looking forward to the continued research, innovation, and patient-centered care UMMC will provide,” said Congressman Guest.
“We greatly appreciate the ongoing investment in UMMC’s telehealth initiatives that extends our ability to provide high-quality health care to rural and medically underserved areas of our state. Telehealth allows us to monitor patients in rural hospitals, to assist patients with chronic conditions and to help students in need of mental health services,” said Dr. LouAnn Woodward, Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
The Telehealth Centers of Excellence program supports academic medical centers, like UMMC, as they work to expand telehealth services to rural communities and improve patient outcomes. This funding will help researchers collect data, enhance studies, and provide telehealth training to professionals.
UMMC is one of two federally recognized Telehealth Centers of Excellence in the country. As such, the UMMC Center for Telehealth and Emerging Technologies serves as a model that medical institutions across the nation can look to as they work to implement telehealth solutions in their states. The UMMC commitment to telehealth services has made Mississippi a leader in this emerging health care delivery option.
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