USDA
TOPEKA – U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development State Director for Kansas, Lynne Hinrichsen, has announced that USDA is investing $985,399 to provide telemedicine software and equipment to ensure equitable health care access at rural, sparsely staffed medical facilities in a seven-state (IA, KS, MN, MT, ND, NE, and WY), 66-county area in the Upper Midwest through the Emergency Telemedicine Project.
“Telemedicine provides rural residents with easier access to more medical resources,” Hinrichsen said. “This project enhances the focus on direct patient care delivered via telemedicine through eEmergency."
The Emergency Telemedicine Project brings interactive video and computer equipment to telehealth consultations with specialty care providers.
Avera Health is an integrated health system based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, that provides top-quality health services. Avera serves a population of nearly one million throughout a geographical footprint of 72,000 square miles and 86 counties in the Upper Midwest.
They offer a wide range of specialists throughout their innovative Avera eCARE telemedicine services available at more than 150 Avera clinics and doctors’ offices across the region.
Avera’s systems serve the following 16 Kansas counties:
Cheyenne
McPherson
Phillips
Wichita
Decatur
Nemaha
Rawlins
Gove
Ness
Russell
Jackson
Norton
Sheridan
Lincoln
Pawnee
Trego
USDA Rural Development (RDUSDA) 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/ks or call (785) 271-2700.