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USDA Invests $3.57 Million for Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grants to Four Maine Organizations

Name
Emily Cannon
Phone
City
Washington DC
Release Date

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced it is investing $42.3 million to help rural residents gain access to health care and educational opportunities nationwide. In Maine, four educational organizations will receive a total of $3,578,754. Rural areas are seeing higher infection and death rates related to COVID-19 due to several factors, including a much higher percentage of underlying conditions, difficulty accessing medical care, and lack of health insurance. The $42.3 million in awards includes $24 million provided through the CARES Act. In total, these investments will benefit 5 million rural residents.

“The coronavirus pandemic is a national emergency that requires an historic federal response. These investments by the Biden Administration will help millions of people living in rural places access health care and education opportunities that could change and save lives,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “USDA is helping rural America build back better using technology as a cornerstone to create more equitable communities. With health care and education increasingly moving to online platforms, the time is now to make historic investments in rural America to improve quality of life for decades to come.”

USDA Rural Development Acting State Director Tommy R. Higgins said, “Now more than ever, our schools and healthcare facilities are relying on distance learning and telemedicine technology to assist students and patients in rural areas. This $3.57 million investment in Maine is critical to ensuring students can engage in home learning in rural areas and connect to a quality education. In addition, this funding will expand access to telehealth services for rural patients, helping them to receive the vital healthcare they need.”

In Maine, four organizations will receive Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grants totaling $3,578,754:

  • Aucocisco School, in Cape Elizabeth, will receive a Grant in the amount of $708,487 to purchase teleconferencing equipment to connect 16 schools, including public schools and special-purpose private schools, in seven counties in rural Maine. The schools will use the equipment to access professional development and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) activities. It also will provide more reliable communication for students at home due to the pandemic.
  • Maine School of Science & Math, in Limestone, will receive a Grant in the amount of $924,630 to purchase video-telecommunications hardware, software and integrated-classroom presentation equipment to support distance learning among 21 schools in Aroostook County. The project will help to expand curricula in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM); foreign language and other subjects by providing access to educational opportunities across the school districts and dual enrollment to University of Maine Presque Isle. Funds also will be used to purchase personal devices, remote access points and web conferencing licenses to help students participate in classroom activities from home. Teachers will have remote access to professional development, coaching and mentoring opportunities.
  • University of Maine System, in Orono, will receive a Grant in the amount of $1,000,000 to install interactive video-teleconferencing equipment at 42 locations across 11 Maine counties. The project will expand educational opportunities for students at remote rural centers and campuses, and help medical clinics expand access to telehealth services for rural patients.
  • Sanford School Department, in Sanford, will receive a Grant in the amount of $945,637 to expand the Sanford School Department's middle school aquaponics program into a district-wide Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education program. It will enable Kittery students and others to access STEM-related career training from the Sanford CTE center. The project will provide a more flexible approach to teacher professional development. It also to keep the schools open in hybrid learning during the remainder of the pandemic.

A recent report by the Rural Policy Research Institute’s Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis found infection and death rates in rural America due to COVID-19 are 13.4 percent higher than in urban areas. A recent report from USDA’s Economic Research Service, USDA ERS - Rural Residents Appear to be More Vulnerable to Serious Infection or Death From Coronavirus COVID-19, underscored the challenges facing rural Americans amidst the COVID-19 pandemic with even greater detail. Due to a confluence of factors, including higher percentages of underlying conditions, lack of health insurance, and lower access to medical facilities/care than urban counterparts, ERS analysts found rural Americans are suffering more severe illness or death due to COVID-19.

Rural Residents Appear to be More Vulnerable to Serious Infection or Death from Coronavirus COVID-19

 

Rural
Percent

Urban
Percent

Underlying health
conditions (ages 20 to 84)

Older adult population
scale

Lacking health insurance
(ages 25 to 64)

Distance to county with an
intensive care hospital

23.7


15.9


20.2


11.3

3.0


4.0


10.5


0.3

The table above is from the USDA ERS January 2021 report: Rural Residents Appear to be More Vulnerable to Serious Infection or Death from Coronavirus COVID-19

Background:
USDA is funding 86 projects through the Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) grant program. The program helps rural education and health care entities remotely reach students, patients and outside expertise. These capabilities make world-class education and health care opportunities accessible in rural communities. The ability to use telehealth resources is critical, especially now during a global pandemic.

USDA announced investments today in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

To learn more about investment resources for rural areas, interested parties should contact their USDA Rural Development state office.

In January, President Biden requested all parts of the federal government to contribute resources to contain the coronavirus pandemic. USDA is responding to the President’s call to action. To date, more than 350 USDA personnel have deployed to assist with standing up vaccination sites, for example. In addition to personnel, USDA is offering its facilities, cold chain infrastructure, public health experts, disaster response specialists, and footprint in rural and Tribal communities across the country. USDA’s commitment to control the pandemic extends to our own staff and facilities, with masking and physical distancing requirements across USDA, a commitment to provide PPE to our front-line workers, and working with states to prioritize vaccinations for our workforce. For more information, visit www.usda.gov/coronavirus. USDA also encourages people seeking health insurance to go to HealthCare.gov now through May 15th due to a Special Enrollment Period. If you are recently uninsured due to a job loss or between jobs, find a plan at HealthCare.gov and keep it for as long as you need it.

If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.


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/me.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, ensuring access to healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America.

If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.