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USDA Grant Improves Access to Healthcare in Rural Oregon

Name
Erin McDuff
City
Portland
Release Date

Rural residents of Lake County, Oregon, will have improved access to healthcare through new telemedicine services to be developed by the Lake Health District with the assistance of a Distance Learning and Telemedicine grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (UDSA) Rural Development, announced State Director Vicki Walker today.

“Rural communities often lack access to specialized medical care,” said Walker. “At USDA, we are working to ensure that rural residents do not have to forego healthcare because of where they live, or be forced to leave the communities they love to get the care they need.”

The Lake Health District will receive a nearly $99,000 grant to provide telehealth services in four rural healthcare clinics in Lake County. With the installation of video conferencing equipment, patients will be able to access care that was previously unavailable in their rural communities. These telehealth services will increase the quality of care for local residents while also reducing both wait times and travel needs for patients requiring specialized care.

Nationwide, USDA is awarding $23.4 million in grants to support 45 distance learning and 36 telemedicine projects. Funding of each award announced today is contingent upon the recipients meeting the terms of their grant agreement.

Rural Development has provided $213 million for 634 distance learning or telemedicine projects in rural areas nationwide since 2009. During that same period, Rural Development (@USDARD) has also helped to bring high-speed Internet access to nearly 6 million rural residents and businesses; invested $31.3 billion in 185,000 miles of electric transmission and distribution lines serving 4.6 million rural residents; funded nearly 7,000 community facilities, such as schools, public safety, and healthcare facilities; helped 1.1 million rural residents buy homes; and invested $11 billion to start or expand 103,000 rural businesses. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov/results