Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced last week that 111 projects in 35 states have been selected to receive more than $34.9 million in grants to increase educational opportunities and expand access to healthcare services in rural areas.
The funding will be provided through USDA Rural Development's Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program. The funds are part of USDA's annual budget and are not part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Agriculture Under Secretary for Rural Development Dallas Tonsager made the announcement on behalf of Vilsack while attending the annual meeting of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting in Kansas City, Mo.
"The Obama Administration is working to ensure that rural citizens have access to a full range of educational opportunities and access to quality medical care," Vilsack said. "The funding we are announcing today will deliver these opportunities by expanding telecommunications, educational resources and computer networks throughout rural communities."
For example, Avera Health in Sioux Falls, S.D., was selected to receive a $396,693 grant to provide video-conferencing and telemedicine service to connect 16 rural hospitals and clinics with regional medical facilities in Sioux Falls, Yankton and Aberdeen.
The Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant Program provides access to education, training and health care resources in rural areas. Funding is contingent upon the recipient meeting the conditions of the grant agreement.
On the next page is a complete list of funding recipients:
Alaska:
Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District - $270,864
Eastern Aleutian Tribes - $319,648
AVTEC - $312,695
Copper River School District - $211,555
Alabama:
Glenwood, Inc. - $334,067
University of Alabama - $99,800
Arkansas:
Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas - $87,294
Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts - $500,000
Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts - $500,000
Baptist Health - $309,752
Baptist Health - $295,357
Crossett Health Foundation d/b/a ACMC Family Home Health - $121,215
Sparks Regional Medical Center - $467,287
Arizona:
La Paz Regional Hospital, Inc - $161,547
Dine College - $224,281
Mohave County Community College District - $499,253
Colorado:
Prowers County Hospital District d.b.a. Prowers Medical Center - $147,770
Plateau Valley Hospital District - $69,886
Georgia:
Georgia Partnership for Telehealth, Inc. - $436,218
Moultrie Technical College - $190,612
Englewood Health System, Inc. - $294,968
North Georgia Technical College - $80,500
Hawaii:
Office of Hawaiian Affairs - $453,131
Iowa:
Mercy Foundation of Des Moines, Iowa - $380,908
Clarke County Public Hospital - $356,243
Idaho:
State of Idaho, Office of CIO, Department of Administration - $490,946
State of Idaho, Office of CIO, Department of Administration - $490,946
Indiana:
Wilson Education Center - $299,458
Kansas:
South Central Kansas Education Service Center - $500,000
South Central Kansas Education Service Center - $500,000
Kentucky:
Eastern Kentucky University - $111,678
Carter County School District - $366,830
Communicare, Inc. - $98,873
Carroll County School District - $81,934
Maine:
Eastern Maine Medical Center - $371,563
Maine School Administrative District No. 64 - $427,514
Association of Computer Technology Educators of Maine - $498,222
Association of Computer Technology Educators of Maine - $498,494
Gorham School Department- $498,701
Caribou School Department - $498,943
Region 2 School of Applied Technology -$473,741
Island Institute - $499,908
Michigan:
Baldwin Family Health Care - $52,400
Marquette General Hospital, Inc. - $272,555
Mid-Michigan Visiting Nurses Assoc: Michigan Home Care - $461,212
Van Buren Intermediate School District - $239,445
Minnesota:
Northeast Service Cooperative - $133,058
Southland Public Schools - $164,357
Southeast Service Cooperative ISD - $208,766
MacCray Public Schools - $346,904
Lakes Country Service Cooperative - $475,803
Mahnomen Health Center - $69,573
Missouri:
Citizens Memorial Hospital District - $500,000
Worth County R-III School District - $321,931
McDonald County R-1 School District - $143,001
Scotland County Memorial Hospital District - $62,622
Mississippi:
Delta State University - $316,209
Delta Health Alliance, Inc. - $186,200
Kilmichael Hospital - $87,252
Montana:
Noxon Public Schools - $404,587
Montana Wyoming Tribal Leaders Council - $438,122
Nebraska:
Educational Service Unit 13 - $500,000
Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation - $195,722
New Jersey:
Restoring Homes Urban Renewal, LP - $175,584
New Mexico:
Western New Mexico University - $267,331
Regional Education Cooperative #9 - $499,361
Nizhoni Smiles, Inc. - $247,278
New York:
Western New York Rural Area Health Education Center, Inc. - $260,268
Onondaga Cortland Madison Bd. of Coop. Educ. Services - $469,012
South Lewis Central School District - $354,860
Hillside Family of Agencies - $265,912
Ohio:
Lorain County Community College - $83,980
Adena Health System - $226,467
Hardin Memorial Hospital - $122,835
Oklahoma:
Caddo Kiowa Technology Center - $480,627
Howe Public School District I-067 - $469,438
Oklahoma State University for Health Sciences - $287,013
St. Anthony Hospital - $493,638
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education - $265,667
Opportunities, Inc. - $265,532
Lomega Public School District I-003 - $487,864
Oregon:
Wallowa County Health Care Dist: Wallowa Memorial Hospital - $396,886
Oregon Coast Community College - $151,328
Providence St. Vincent Medical Center - $105,000
Pennsylvania:
Bradford Regional Medical Center (BRMC) - $92,406
South Dakota: Horizon Health Care, Inc. - $378,631
Avera Health - $396,693
Regional Health, Inc. - $386,549
Tennessee:
Putnam County Schools - $314,259
Bedford County Department of Education - $484,329
Columbia State Community College - $323,127
Cocke County Board of Education - $499,066
Walters State Community College - $493,637
Texas:
Coastal Bend College - $193,786
Region XIV Education Service Center - $500,000
Education Service Center District 9 - $336,024
Riviera Independent School District - $179,754
Brazos Valley Community Action Agency, Inc. - $233,831
Virginia:
Northampton County Public School Division - $267,633
Vermont:
Orleans Essex Visiting Nurses Association & Hospice, Inc. - $89,109
Washington:
Big Bend Community College - $139,273
Mabton School District #120 - $468,144
Bridgeport School District #75 - $385,640
Wisconsin:
Cooperative Educational Service Agency - $362,784
Gunderson Clinic, LTD - $104,593
Cooperative Education Service Agency 8 - $387,526
West Virginia:
CAMC Health Education & Research Institute, Inc. - $371,609
West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind - $316,578
Jefferson County School District - $497,920
Wyoming:
Fremont County School District - $465,548
Fremont County School District - $498,017