The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Monday that it has awarded almost $55 million to 29 HRSA-funded health centers to increase healthcare access and quality for underserved populations.

Through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the funds will be allocated for telehealth, remote patient monitoring, digital patient tools, and health information technology platforms.

The new funding builds on the more than $7.3 billion from the American Rescue Plan invested in community health centers over the past year to mitigate the impact of COVID-19.

“Virtual care has been a game-changer for patients, especially during the pandemic,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, said in a statement. “This funding will help health centers leverage the latest technology and innovations to expand access to quality primary care for underserved communities.”

In the statement, HHS pointed out that in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, health centers have extended their use of virtual care to maintain access to vital services.

According to HHS, health centers reported substantial growth in the number of virtual visits from 478,333 in 2019 to 28,550,608 in 2020, a 6,000% increase. And the number of health centers offering virtual visits jumped by 130%, climbing from from 592 in 2019 to 1,362 in 2022.