Spanberger Applauds Federal Grant for Central Virginia-Based Aging Research & Telehealth Development

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger today applauded the recent announcement of one federal grant of $936,620 to support aging research and telehealth development in Spotsylvania County.

The award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS’) National Institute on Aging will be used by Healthcare Technologies and Methods (HTM) to support their ongoing efforts to improve access to care and services through telehealth and digital media for individuals suffering from hearing loss. Specifically, the grant will allow HTM to develop technology for hearing aid users to easily access videos and other content at home – and then securely transmit medical information to a healthcare providers’ website.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the critical importance telemedicine plays in keeping Virginia’s seniors and other vulnerable populations connected to their healthcare providers,” said Spanberger. “This award demonstrates that Virginia remains a leader in healthcare innovation, particularly as we adapt to the unique circumstances of the current crisis. Hearing loss is a leading cause of disability, can lead to feelings of social isolation, and can significantly reduce quality of life, especially for seniors. With this significant funding from HHS, I’m hopeful that more seniors in our community and across the country will be able to safely access their appointments, master the use and care of their hearing aids, and maintain regular contact with their physicians and nurses.”

“TELLYHealthTM has been designed to educate new hearing aid users about hearing aid use, maintenance and new communication methods. The clinical trial HTM successfully completed last year with patients up to 88 years of age demonstrated that TELLYHealthTM is both easy to use and clinically effective,” said Alan M. Letzt, President & CEO, HTM. “TELLYHealthTM enables people to adapt faster to their hearing aids and enables hearing healthcare professionals to provide more timely and comprehensive patient-centered care. This new National Institute on Aging grant will enable HTM to fully prepare the patent-pending TELLYHealthTM platform for commercial use in the Commonwealth of Virginia, throughout the U.S. and internationally.”

The HHS funding will be distributed through a Small Business Innovation Research Grant.

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