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. 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.”
Michigan has two projects.
Lake Superior State University will use a $787,118 grant to upgrade and expand the distance-learning network among Lake Superior State University, the Eastern Upper Peninsula Intermediate School District, regional community colleges and local library sites. Thirty-two sites in seven Michigan counties will be equipped with computers, cameras, microphones, monitors and supporting materials that will enable interactive instruction across a network of classrooms.
The Universal Health and Kidney Foundation will use a $548,270 grant to connect health care providers and educators to patients in the counties of Genesee, Luce, Lake and Clare in rural Michigan. The Universal Health and Kidney Foundation’s main office will host a videoconferencing bridge to connect all sites to tele-consults and health education services. The foundation’s training center in Flint will host three provider telemedicine workstations. Providers at this site will connect to patients in rural areas. A mobile, cart-based telehealth system will be placed at each end-user site. Patients at these sites will be able to connect to a participating grant site or an external provider in a distant area to receive specialty care.
Comments