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USDA Rural Development Recognizes Avera Health For Enhanced Services

Name
Tammi Schone
City
Sioux Falls
Release Date

Avera is a regional health system with 32 hospitals in South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska, in addition to 208 physician clinics and wellness facilities, and 40 long-term care, senior apartment and assisted-living facilities.  Avera’s system of strength serves 51 South Dakota counties and employs more than 16,000 individuals, making it South Dakota’s largest employer.  Avera has one of the largest and most comprehensive telehealth networks in the United States.  A large portion of the funding to develop the Avera telemedicine program has been awarded through the USDA Rural Development.

USDA Rural Development staff were on site at Avera’s main office location to recognize them for being awarded $74,747 through USDA Rural Development’s Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) Grant funds for enhanced services. 

“USDA Rural Development understands the importance rural healthcare has in a community and on the benefits associated it including enhanced educational and training programs to rural residents,” said Bruce Jones, Acting State Director for South Dakota USDA Rural Development.  “Avera Health will be able to provide advanced health care to people and communities in hometowns across the region with these funds.”

The project funds will be used to deploy interactive video-teleconferencing equipment at 11 rural end-user sites in South Dakota to provide eConsult telemedicine services to rural patients, physicians, and clinicians via the Internet.  Eight of the end-user sites are identified as exceptionally rural with five sites designated as Federally-Qualified Health Centers and three as Community Health Centers.  This project will provide service to the South Dakota Counties of Sully, Lyman, Potter, Stanley, Hyde, Jones, Charles Mix, Aurora, McCook, Hutchinson and Turner.

“Rural communities often lack access to specialized medical care. Through telemedicine, people living in communities like Gettysburg, Presho and Murdo are now able to connect with specialist physicians in Sioux Falls, saving time, money and stress caused by extensive travel throughout the state,” said Rachael Sherard, Senior Vice President for Avera Health. “Without grant funding from the USDA, this would not be possible.”

The DLT Grant Program provides access to education, training and health care resources in rural areas.  USDA Rural Development has eight offices in the state that assist rural communities.  Office locations include a state office in Huron, along with area offices in Aberdeen, Mitchell, Pierre, Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Watertown, and Yankton.
President Obama’s plan for rural America has produced historic investment in rural communities. Under the President’s leadership, these investments in housing, community facilities, businesses and infrastructure have strengthened America’s small towns and cities and helped improve the nation’s economy.