Federal Communications Commission chairman Tom Wheeler identified regulatory barriers and the need for stronger partnerships among the challenges facing a new health taskforce.

The FCC’s new Connect2Health initiative must leverage broadband and other next-generation technology to ensure healthcare services have a broader reach in the US, including remote locations as well as underserved urban areas, said Wheeler.

“By identifying regulatory barriers and incentives and building stronger partnerships with stakeholders in the areas of telehealth, mobile applications, and tele-medicine, we can expedite this vital shift,” said Wheeler.

The chair of the taskforce is Michele Ellison, currently chief of the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau.

Within Ellison’s brief will be coordinating with existing Director of Health Care Initiatives, Matthew Quinn, who was appointed a year ago.