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On National Rural Health Day, USDA Announces $23.4 Million in Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grants for 75 Projects in 31 States

Name
Anne Mayberry
City
Washington
Release Date

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA is investing $23.4 million in 75 projects across 31 states and the Western Pacific to expand distance learning and telemedicine opportunities in rural areas.

“Rural communities often lack access to specialized medical care or advanced educational opportunities necessary for stronger rural economies,” Vilsack said, noting that today is National Rural Health Day. “These grants will help increase access to health care and many other essential services.”

The grants are being provided through USDA Rural Development’s Distance Learning and Telemedicine program. They may be used to purchase equipment to provide educational and telemedicine services to rural communities.

In South Dakota:
• Horizon Health Care, Inc. is receiving a $238,303 grant to provide health care to 12 frontier counties that span 7,000 square-miles in South Dakota.  The project will help Horizon Health to designate all of their clinics Patient Centered Medical Homes.  Patients that have emergent cardiovascular needs and require physician specialists will be able to be examined in their local rural clinics.  Mental health services will be offered to residents via telemedicine for expert consultation that will result in fewer complications.  Self-management diabetic training will be provided to improve overall condition and quality of life.  Counties served include:  Miner, Minnehaha, Brown, Kingsbury, Hamlin, Sanborn, Jerauld, Aurora, Mellette, Todd, Buffalo, Bennett, and Beadle.
• Avera Health is receiving a $74,747 grant to obtain and deploy interactive video-teleconferencing equipment at 11 rural end-user sites in South Dakota to provide eConsult telemedicine services to rural patients, physicians and clinicians.  Eight of the end-user sites are identified as exceptionally rural with five sites designated as Federally-Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) and three as Community Health Centers.  Counties served include Minnehaha, Sully, Lyman, Potter, Stanley, Hyde, Jones, Charles Mix, and Aurora.
• The University of South Dakota is receiving a $499,897 grant to connect the University of South Dakota’s campuses in Vermillion, Pierre, Rapid City, and Sioux Falls with 24 rural hospitals and clinics, including one on the Lake Traverse Indian Reservation.  All hub and end-user sites have sufficient broadband networks in place to support this distance learning project.  USD Vermillion campus, the lead organization, will oversee this project towards its overall goal of preparing medical students and nursing students for careers in rural healthcare practice.  Counties served include Minnehaha, Pennington, Hughes, Clay, Grant, Lawrence, Walworth, Tripp, Roberts, Brule, Spink, Moody, Custer, Day, Hutchinson, Hand, Gregory, Charles Mix, Jerauld, Bon Homme, Turner, Haakon, Faulk, Douglas, and Turner.
• Oglala Lakota College is receiving a $284,221 grant to replace video conferencing equipment for 16 classrooms and add four distance learning classrooms.  With this project, the applicant will be able to offer 60 courses to 12 Native American colleges.  Oglala Lakota College serves an area of over 10,000 square miles that has an average density of 6 people per square mile in South Dakota.  The grant will benefit Native Americans of the Pine Ridge Reservation and of the Cheyenne River Reservation.  Counties served include Shannon, Dewey, Jackson, and Bennett.
 
The awards are being announced on National Rural Health Day to highlight work underway in the private sector, academia and in state and federal rural health offices to address the unique health care needs of rural communities.
Funding of each award announced today is contingent upon the recipient meeting the terms of the grant agreement.

Since 2009, USDA has provided more than $213 million in loans and grants for 634 distance learning and telemedicine projects in rural areas nationwide.
President Obama’s plan for rural America has brought about historic investment and resulted in stronger rural communities. Under the President’s leadership, these investments in housing, community facilities, businesses and infrastructure have empowered rural America to continue leading the way – strengthening America’s economy, small towns and rural communities.