A joint effort from the University of Miami Miller Medical School Telehealth Program, the Children’s Health Fund, and Verizon was announced this week, and it will bring telemedicine on wheels clinics to underserved children.

The initiative combines Children’s Health Fund, a non-profit organization based in New York City, and its mobile clinics for underserved children with health IT upgrades from Verizon. The new IT capabilities of the clinics will be able connect to affiliates such as the the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine through telehealth systems. Verizon has provided the clinics with 4G LTE wireless broadband connection and upgraded telecommunications equipment, allowing for telehealth to occur between the providers.

“This telemedicine system is much more than a video chat. It allows our healthcare providers to not only see and interact with patients via live video, but also to monitor vital signs; perform advanced screenings and tests; and observe their outcomes – all in real time,” stated Daniel Armstrong, Ph.D., executive vice chair of the department of pediatrics at the University Of Miami Miller School Of Medicine.

The initiative will begin in South Florida, but Children’s Health Fund will conduct similar efforts in Dallas, Detroit, New York City, Phoenix, and San Francisco, it says. Along with telehealth, Children’s Health Fund says it will include secure text messaging between providers and patients.