Maine groups get more than $2M in fed money for rural telemedicine, education
Courtesy / Offices of U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King
U.S. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Angus King, I-Maine, announced more than $2.2 million in federal funding awarded to six rural healthcare organizations and educational institutions in Maine.
Six Maine organizations will receive a combined $2.2 million in federal funding for rural telemedicine and educational initiatives across the state, Maine's two U.S. senators said Monday.
The funds, awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program, will help the organizations to expand their online services, allowing them to reach more Maine people across the state.
“In the 21st century, the internet creates new opportunities for Maine people to access vital health treatments or pursue their education, no matter where they live,” Sens. Angus King, I-Maine, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, said in a joint statement.
"These funds will expand the reach of key programs that improve health outcomes and open doors for rural Maine people, providing a welcome boost for communities across our state."
The USDA Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program provides grants to encourage and improve medical care and educational services in rural areas through the use of telecommunications, computer networks, and related advanced technologies to be used by professionals and rural residents.
Award recipients and plans
The total funding amount comes to $2,181,629. Maine's award recipients are:
Androscoggin Home: $215,900, to buy 250 new telemonitoring devices which will benefit 180 communities across nine counties.
MaineHealth: $473,739 to create a telemedicine network to treat opioid disorders experienced by women and infants in rural Maine.
Children’s Center: $300,818 to help 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.
Northern Light Health: $191,496 to implement a telemedicine project in six hospitals. The project will serve 54,333 residents.
Western Foothills Regional School Unit No. 10: $499,676 to enable RSU 10 to implement a distance learning project to receive and distribute advanced classes. All schools will be linked to opioid and behavioral health support. An estimated 25,703 individuals will benefit.
University of Maine System: $500,000 to upgrade distance learning technology. The university system will provide teaching services to 290,000 students in rural Maine.
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