Texas Celebrates Rural Health Day

USDA Rural Development Texas State Director Lillian Salerno toured Lynn County Healthcare System, in Tahoka today, where CEO Melanie Richburg showed her how Rural Development’s recent investment of $585,388.00 will improve the quality of life for West Texans. 
 
The USDA RD Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant has been used to deploy interactive telemedicine carts and equipment to 20 sites across five Texas counties of Lynn, Garza, Borden, Lubbock, and Dawson, allowing rural residents access to healthcare including Texans who live in very remote locations.  
 
Bringing broadband to rural Texans is a Biden-Harris administration priority and projects like bringing telemedicine to rural Texans is only possible with reliable broadband.
 
Part of being Texan is knowing you might have to drive a long way to get to a doctor. We learned from the pandemic just how important accessing health services is to rural Texans.  The pandemic also left many Texans feeling isolated so bringing robust health services including mental health services to rural Texans is a huge priority for me said Salerno. 
 
A recent report from Mental Health America lists  Texas as ranking  50th in the nation for access to mental health care.  
 
“Folks know the importance of being able to reach a mental health provider quickly and in a safe space,” says Salerno. “Rural Texans deserve the same opportunity as folks in urban areas and with broadband and telemedicine we will help close this gap.” 
 
The Biden-Harris administration through USDA Rural Development invests in rural America because they know a strong community is rooted in its people.  rural development is committed to making sure people, no matter where they live, have access to high-quality healthcare services and the infrastructure they need to thrive. For these reasons, USDA is celebrating the power of rural people on National Rural Health Day today, Thursday, Nov. 17.
 
Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs, and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements, business development, housing, community facilities such as schools, public safety, healthcare; high-speed internet access in rural, tribal, and high-poverty areas. 
 
For more information, visit https://www.rd.usda.gov. If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page. To learn more, visit www.rd.usda.gov/TX.  
 
 USDA is an equal opportunity provider, lender, and employer.