U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $72 million in grants to help rural residents gain access to health care and educational opportunities. These investments will benefit more than 12 million rural residents.
“Increasing access to telemedicine and distance learning is critical to building healthier and more resilient rural communities,” said Secretary Sonny Perdue. “Paired with our monumental effort to expand high-speed broadband access in rural America, these investments will help rural health care centers and education institutions reach more rural residents with essential services and opportunities. Under the leadership of President Trump, USDA is committed to being a strong partner to rural communities because when rural America thrives, all of America thrives.”
“Throughout Louisiana, schools, hospitals, and community centers are receiving a total of $3,592,989 in funding through the Distance Learning and Telemedicine grant program to ensure our rural residents and students have access to much needed medical care and educational opportunities,” said USDA State Director Roy Holleman.
Background:
USDA is funding 116 projects through the Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) grant program. The program helps health care and education institutions buy the equipment and software necessary to deploy distance-learning and telemedicine services to rural residents.
Louisiana eight projects are:
- Louisiana Rural Ambulance Alliance will use a $997,627 grant to assist the Rural Access to Education (RATE) to provide training and education through a distance learning network. The project aims to address the opioid epidemic decimating 12 parishes in rural Louisiana.
- Sabine Parish School Board will use a $835,204 grant to provide one-to-one Chromebooks for students in grades 3-8 for the purpose of making real time connections to educational experiences related to Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) courses.
- Access Health Louisiana will use a $426,194 grant to expand a telecommunications system or seven rural parishes, including distance learning education and telemedicine services provided to patients of all ages with the highest connectivity currently available with a focus on opioid treatment to provide expanded primary care and behavioral health access and services to predominantly low-income patients.
- Care Tec Pediatric Center will use a $113,727 grant to expand a telecommunications system for seven rural Louisiana parishes, including both distance learning education and telemedicine services provided to patients of all ages with the highest connectivity currently available with a focus on opioid treatment to provide expanded primary care and behavioral health access and services to predominantly low-income patients.
- Southeastern Louisiana University will use a $173,920 grant to provide telehealth and distance learning services via synchronous audio and visual technology across five rural Louisiana parishes. Through this grant, Southeastern Louisiana University (SLU) will establish telehealth clinics/training centers at four Northshore Technical Community College campuses as well as a telehealth clinic/training center at North Oaks Hospital Wellness Clinic.
- Council For Advance will use a $253,951 grant to expand mental health, opioid use disorder and substance use disorder services in six rural Louisiana parishes. A telecommunications system including both distance learning education and telemedicine services will be provided to patients and clients of all ages with the highest connectivity currently available in northwest Louisiana
- Louisiana Delta Community College (LDCC) will use a $501,917 grant to expand distance learning by offering Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) courses in six rural Louisiana parishes. LDCC plans to purchase equipment and provide training necessary to establish a distance learning network, capable of video collaboration, connecting five rural campuses.
- Natchitoches Parish Hospital Services District will use a $290,439 grant to establish a telehealth network for medical diagnoses and services. The services will be delivered by interactive video conferencing to rural patients in three rural parishes. This telemedicine project will expand quality health care to affected communities including some located in Opportunity Zones.
To learn more about investment resources for rural areas, interested parties should contact their USDA Rural Development state office. USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.