USDA Rural Development Acting Undersecretary Roger Glendenning has announced that the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is accepting applications for the Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) Grant Program funding for Fiscal Year (FY) 2017. The Notice of Solicitation of Applications (NOSA) outlines that applications are due July 17, 2017.
DLT grants are designed to provide access to education, training, and health care resources for rural Americans. The DLT Program supports telemedicine and distance learning services in rural areas through the use of telecommunications, computer networks, and advanced technologies that benefit rural communities.
Applicants are encouraged to review the FY 2017 application guide and sample material that is available online at: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/distance-learning-telemedicine-grants.
More information on how to apply for this funding is available on pages 22477-22482 of the May 16, 2017 Federal Register.
A minimum grant amount of $50,000 and a maximum grant amount of $500,000 will be awarded through a competitive process for FY 2017, based on requirements that can be found at 7 CFR part 1703. Of the funds made available this year, $1.6 million will be prioritized to provide for communication upgrades between ambulances, emergency transportation vehicles and medical facilities.
A couple of the prior South Dakota recipients include:
• Avera Health of Sioux Falls received a $494,518 grant to integrate 18 rural, under-staffed hospitals with Avera’s ePharmacy network. A live pharmacist will provide prescription review & pharmacy support 24 hours a day. An automated dispensing machine will be deployed at each hospital to reduce medication errors & to improve patient safety.
• Mount Marty College, Inc. in Yankton received a grant of $116,445 to purchase video conferencing equipment to provide Master in Education curriculum to tribal colleges. This project will help train current and future teachers as well as provide professional development through distance learning instruction and assistance. The need for this project is underscored by the geographic location of the tribal schools as well as the need for qualified teachers in the region and the state. Furthermore, these areas lack adequate resources to train future teachers or to provide professional development and training to current teachers. The end-user sites are at tribal colleges located on three different reservations in South Dakota.
For more information in South Dakota contact General Field Representative Pat Hemen at (605) 968-1582.