Investments Will Benefit over 6,000 Rural Residents
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Feb. 25, 2021 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Ohio Rural Development Acting State Director Beth Huhn 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.
“These distance learning and telemedicine investments will help rural Ohioans tap into the enormous potential of modern telecommunication technologies for education and health care, two factors that will assist in responding to the coronavirus pandemic,” Huhn said. “These investments by the Biden Administration will help millions of people living in rural places by expanding access to health care and educational opportunities that could change and save lives.”
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.
In Ohio,
- Seneca East Local School District will use a $723,000 grant to enhance the delivery of distance learning, particularly Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) related, and equip students and teachers for success during the pandemic. The project will equip 57 classrooms with distance education enabled hardware and software, upgrade networking and supply 350 devices to students. During the pandemic, distance learning is suffering with students and teachers lacking necessary equipment which causes distress for all parties involved. Education delivery plans have been delivered via distance learning, with some in-school days. This project will impact Seneca, Erie, Sandusky, Hancock, Wood and Huron Counties and will also provide mental health services remotely.
- Ohio Valley Physicians Inc is receiving a $430,000 grant to provide telehealth services in Floyd, Johnson, Lawrence, Martin and Pike counties in Kentucky; Cabell, Mingo, Jackson and Logan counties in West Virginia; Gallia, Lawrence and Scioto counties in Ohio; and Buchanan County in Virginia. Each site will have a dedicated telehealth room equipped with a large interactive touchscreen monitor, computer, camera and printer. Each hub or hub/end-user site will have two dedicated providers who will be provide telehealth services to patients at end-user sites. This project also will provide substance misuse treatment services.
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.
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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/oh or call us at 614-255-2400.
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