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WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that several central Maine distance learning and telemedicine projects are among 133 in 37 states and two U.S. territories sharing $42.5 million in investments
The grants through the Distance Learning and Telemedicine grant program will benefit 5.4 million rural residents in the U.S. the USDA said in a news release. In Maine, six organizations, including those with headquarters in Lewiston, Augusta and Rumford have been selected to receive a total of $2.18 million:
USDA Rural Development Maine State Director Timothy P. Hobbs said, “Quality healthcare and education in rural areas are essential to creating strong and vibrant communities in Maine. The distance learning opportunities provided by these funds will help thousands of students expand their horizons, while telemedicine technology will help improve healthcare access and support rural individuals and families in living longer, healthier lives.”
Central Maine-based organizations sharing in the grant money are:
Androscoggin Home and Healthcare, Lewiston, $215,900 to buy 250 new telemonitoring units to improve health service in Androscoggin, Franklin, Sagadahoc, Oxford and parts of Cumberland, Somerset, Lincoln, York, and Kennebec counties. This investment will fund six sites in Norway, Bridgton, Wilton, Rumford, Lewiston and Manchester, and will serve 180 communities across nine counties. Androscoggin Home anticipates monitoring approximately 4,000 patients annually.
Children’s Center: Early Intervention, of Augusta, $300,818 to fund a new telemedicine project that will use tablets to create a technology library. The library will be available to families within a 120-mile radius of the Children’s Center Augusta or at the two designated end-user sites at the Children’s Center Farmington and Children’s Center Skowhegan. The project will serve 202,572 individuals.
Western Foothills Regional School Unit 10, Rumford, $499,676 to implement a distance learning project to receive and distribute advanced classes. All schools will be linked to opioid and behavioral health support. Distance learning equipment will be installed at 16 locations in Oxford, Penobscot and Somerset counties in Maine. An estimated 25,703 individuals will benefit.
Other Maine grants benefit MaineHealth, Northern Light Health and the University of Maine System.
For more information on USDA Rural Development’s Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant Program in Maine, contact Robert Nadeau, program director, at 207-990-9121 or robert.nadeau@usda.gov
