Fed funds awarded for telemedicine and rural broadband access
Maine continues to get significant funding boosts from the federal government as four school districts and MaineHealth, a rural health care provider, have been awarded a total of $1,644,596 through the Distance Learning and Telemedicine Loan and Grant program.
The federal funding will be used to assist connecting rural health communities with medical and educational experts in other parts of the country, therefore increasing access to health care, substance misuse treatment and advanced educational opportunities.
Maine Regional School Unit 13 will be awarded $327,466 to purchase video-telepresence equipment to enable real-time distance learning among Regional School Unit 13, the Chewonki Foundation, the Center for Maine Contemporary Art, the Catawba Indian Nation, the Monhegan Island School and AOS 93 to provide rural students, educators and adult learners with access to science, technology, engineering, art and math classes.
Maine Regional School Unit 87/Maine School Administrative District 23 will be awarded $312,744 to purchase video-telepresence equipment.
Maine Regional School Unit 80/Maine School Administrative District 4 will be awarded $239,235 to establish a distance learning network connecting instructors at the Maine Tri-County Technology Center to students in 10 rural schools in Maine; three rural schools in New Hampshire; and one end user site in the Indian Township of Passamaquoddy.
Maine Regional School Unit 33/Maine School Administrative District 33 will be awarded $366,459 to purchase video-telepresence equipment that will enable real-time distance learning activities between schools in Maine School Administrative District No. 33 and its partners.
MaineHealth will be awarded $398,692 to install telehealth videoconferencing carts at six rural medical clinics. Three telehealth videoconferencing carts will be provided to three home health agency sites.
“Broadband and telehealth technologies have become critical tools for rural communities, helping connect students with teachers and patients with doctors,” U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King said in a joint statement about the funding, which was awarded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “This funding will support rural Mainers in their efforts to bridge the digital divide and actively interact with experts and resources across the country.”
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