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Whistleblower Hotline (Code 9 Calls)

About Telemedicine/Telehealth

Federal Telehealth and RHCD Related Links

Whistleblower Hotline (Code 9 Calls)

Assuring effective stewardship of the universal service support mechanism for rural health care providers by guarding against misuse or waste of universal service funds is a priority shared by USAC, the Rural Health Care Division, the FCC, applicants, service providers, and the public. To that end, the Whistleblower Hotline allows applicants, service providers, and others to alert us-anonymously, if desired-to instances where universal service funds are being misapplied or where potential program rule violations may exist.

Each call to the Whistleblower Hotline is handled by specially-trained staff, and each tip is investigated carefully. If our investigation clearly confirms a program rule violation that is indicative of waste, fraud, or abuse, we will take immediate corrective steps, including but not limited to adjusting or rescinding funding commitments and recovering program funds. Other steps may be undertaken, such as referral of matters to criminal and other law enforcement agencies.

Because the RHCD treats each call to the Whistleblower Hotline as a serious and urgent matter requiring our attention, we caution you to use the hotline procedure described below ONLY to report potential instances of waste, fraud, or abuse of program rules.

Here's how the Whistleblower Hotline works:

1. If you want to report what you believe is a misuse of program funds or a violation of program rules, call the Customer Service Support Center at 1-800-229-5476 and tell the operator that you want to report a potential program rule violation.
2. You will be connected to specially trained staff who will record your report. This staff person will ask you a series of questions in order to obtain as much information about the situation as possible, so the investigation can proceed efficiently.
3. If you choose to remain anonymous, you may do so. If you opt to identify yourself so that our investigators can contact you for additional information, we will make every effort to maintain your confidentiality as the investigation proceeds.
4. After your call is complete, the report of your call will be referred to the USAC Office of General Counsel for assessment and investigation.
5. The USAC Office of General Counsel will make the final determination of action needed on each case, in consultation with RHCD Management and the Federal Communications Commission as appropriate.

About Telemedicine/Telehealth

The primary use of RHCD funding is to support telemedicine or telehealth programs. Telemedicine is the use of medical information exchanged from one site to another via electronic communications for the health and education of the patient or health care provider (HCP) and for the purpose of improving patient care.

Telemedicine has the potential to save lives in remote rural areas, where a patient and the closest health care professional can be miles apart. It can mean access to health care where little had been available before. In emergency cases, telemedicine can mean the difference between life and death when fast medical response time and specialty care are needed.

For example, a specialist at a North Carolina University Hospital was able to diagnose a rural patient's hairline spinal fracture at a distance, using telemedicine video imaging. The patient's life was saved because treatment was done on-site without physically transporting the patient to the specialist, who was located a great distance away.

Telemedicine also has the potential to improve the delivery of health care by bringing a wider range of services such as radiology, mental health services, and dermatology, to under-served communities and individuals in both urban and rural areas. In addition, telemedicine can help attract and retain health professionals in rural areas by providing ongoing training and collaboration with other health care professionals.

The four main benefits of telemedicine are:

• Improved access to emergency centers and specialized care;
• Reduced isolation by providing health care to remote areas;
• Improved quality of care through quicker diagnosis; and,
• Reduced costs of travel and training.
  

Federal Telehealth and RHCD Related Links

Organization Web Site Federal Communications Commission: Among other things, this site provides information concerning the Universal Service Fund. Visit the web site Office of Rural Health Policy: Provides background on defining rural areas, telemedicine/telehealth issues, grant programs, and other related links. Visit the web site Goldsmith Modification Table: Web Site that queries its database to match a U.S. street address, entered by the user, to its official tract number. Tract numbers listed in the Goldsmith Modification table are defined to be rural pockets located in urban counties. Tract numbers not listed in the Goldsmith Modification table are classified as urban areas. Visit the web site U.S. Census Bureau: Provides definition of metropolitan statistical area (MSA), listing of U.S. counties located in MSAs, listing of U.S. rural counties (non-MSAs), and listing of urban towns located in U.S. rural counties. Visit the web site Rural Utilities Service: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is the Federal "point" agency for rural infrastructure assistance in electricity, water and telecommunications. Visit the web site