BASKING RIDGE, N.J., April 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Whether standing up a virtual call center to enable government employees in Rhode Island to more efficiently serve their communities from home offices, or keeping nursing home patients in the State of New Mexico’s Aging and Long-Term Services Department connected to loved ones, technology has played a critical role in the missions of federal, state and local governments, educational institutions, public health organizations and the public sector as a whole during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A mobile cell site and landline connectivity were recently delivered to Fort Totten Park in Queens, NY, which is being used as a base of operations for the military, fire department, up to 300 ambulances, and as a potential site for a field hospital. Hundreds of smartphones and devices were delivered to the U.S. National Guard who were recently deployed to New York City in a 24-hour window.When nursing home residents sheltered-in-place in New Mexico, the state’s Aging and Long-Term Services Department worked with Verizon to distribute hundreds of tablets to nursing facilities across the state. Residents use the tablets to stay connected to their friends and families.“As you can imagine, this level of social distancing can be very difficult for families that are separated from their loved ones. We have received so much feedback from family members and nursing home residents who are using these tablets to connect with each other. They are so grateful,” said Katrina Hotrum-Lopez, Cabinet Secretary, State of New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services. “Thank you to our Verizon partners who worked with us to secure this order and have helped us bring joy and encouragement to the most vulnerable in our community.”Verizon also partnered with the State of Rhode Island Department of Health on a new COVID-19 hotline to better serve Rhode Islanders during this crisis.“We are grateful for our partners at Verizon, who assisted the State of Rhode Island in its efforts to set up a virtual contact center on a quick turnaround in our State’s greatest time of need,” said Brian Tardiff, the State’s Chief Information Security Officer. “We needed a hotline at the Rhode Island Department of Health that would enable state staff to answer a high volume of questions from Rhode Islanders who were looking for specific guidance in response to COVID-19. The cloud-based system was easy to stand up for those of us working from home, and enabled calls to be routed to people with the right skill set using just a browser and a phone. We understood that a project of this size and scope normally takes 45-60 days, and together we did it in 48 hours. In addition to adding the service and getting it up and running, we also trained the agents on the system, completing the entire scope of work and taking calls from Rhode Islanders in a matter of hours, not weeks.”Visit our COVID-19 information page to learn more about Verizon’s response.Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) was formed on June 30, 2000 and is celebrating its 20th year as one of the world’s leading providers of technology, communications, information and entertainment products and services. Headquartered in New York City and with a presence around the world, Verizon generated revenues of $131.9 billion in 2019. The company offers voice, data and video services and solutions on its award winning networks and platforms, delivering on customers’ demand for mobility, reliable network connectivity, security and control. VERIZON’S ONLINE MEDIA CENTER: News releases, stories, media contacts and other resources are available at www.verizon.com/about/news/. News releases are also available through an RSS feed. To subscribe, visit www.verizon.com/about/rss-feeds/.
Media contact:Najuma Thorpe
najuma.thorpe@verizon.com
@najumaJuli Burda
juli.burda@verizonconnect.com
Bay Street News