Today the Department of Agriculture and Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) announced the implementation plan for a $567,200 Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant project that will address the critical need for Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree trained nurses and expand access to health care services in South Georgia.
“Distance learning can ensure quality educational programming reaches beyond the campus to the rural communities of the region,” said Jill Stuckey, USDA Rural Development Georgia State Director. “This project creates professional development opportunities that can create a highly educated and qualified nursing workforce to help meet the needs of this region’s Medically Underserved Areas,” she said.
The project will create a distance learning network between the ABAC School of Nursing and Health Sciences and six remote hospitals to deliver the RN to BSN Completion Program. A bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree prepares practicing nurses for a job as a registered nurse. While you can work as an RN (Registered Nurse) with an associate's degree, nurses with a BSN are typically given more responsibility, supervisory roles and higher salaries. The distance learning network will also be used to expand community health education and outreach programs and provide remote access to ABAC academic programs to citizens in the community to take college courses, earn degrees and acquire skills to gain entry to the local workforce.
The funds will be used for infrastructure and equipment to place mobile videoconferencing units at ABAC hub sites in Tifton and Moultrie that connect with Brooks County Hospital, Miller County Hospital, Phoebe Worth Medical Center, Southwest Georgia Regional Medical Center, Grady General Hospital and Mitchell County Hospital. Practicing nurses will use the network for access to online courses delivered via interactive videoconferencing in conjunction with ABAC’s human patient simulation laboratory. With this advanced technology, nurses experience real life medical scenarios without endangering a live patient and without leaving their jobs or communities.
Goals of this Distance Learning and Telemedicine project are to increase the number of nurses with a BSN degree; increase access to higher education, increase access to continuing medical education for rural healthcare practitioners; and increase access to community health education in rural South Georgia.
Funding comes from the Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant program which helps rural communities use the unique capabilities of telecommunications to connect to each other and to the world, overcoming the effects of remoteness and low population density. For more information please visit : http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/all-programs/telecom-programs.
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.
Since 2009, nationwide, USDA Rural Development has invested $13.5 billion for 5,739 water and waste infrastructure projects, benefiting 19.1 million rural residents; invested nearly $13 billion to start or expand nearly 112,000 rural businesses; helped 1.1 million rural residents buy homes; funded nearly 9,200 community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care facilities; and helped bring high-speed Internet access to nearly 6 million rural residents and businesses. USDA also has invested $31.3 billion in 963 electric projects that have financed more than 185,000 miles of transmission and distribution lines serving 4.6 million rural residents. For more information, visit www.usda.gov/results.