USDA telemedicine grants benefit Nebraska hospitals

Acting Agriculture Secretary Conner announced the selection of 78 grant recipients for USDA Distance Learning and Telemedicine grants totaling $22.3 million in 31 states.

In Nebraska, Faith Regional Health Services, Inc. of Madison will use $149,435 to benefit residents of Antelope, Holt, Knox, Madison and Pierce counties.  Monies will make available wireless cardiac monitors for patients that are closely examined by hospital staff.  Remote telehealth consults in areas of psychiatry, infectious disease, nephrology and other specialties will also be gained.  Enhanced training opportunities through recording of conferences for viewing on demand will be made possible.

Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation of Kearney received $116,952 that will help the residents of Buffalo, Brown, Chase, Custer, Dawson, Dundy, Franklin, Furnas, Harlan, Holt, Kearney, Phelps, Red Willow, Rock, Valley and Webster counties of Nebraska as well as Jewell Norton, Phillips, and Smith counties of Kansas.  Telemedicine equipment will be used for telepharmacy, forensic interviewing and Hispanic medical interpretation for 22 rural sites in the two states.  These sites will be electronically linked to a regional hospital center in Kearney.

Avera Health of Sioux Falls, SD will utilize $488,354 to assist residents in the states of South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska.  Holt county residents in Nebraska will benefit from this project.  Telehealth and distance learning equipment will provide access to Telehealth Emergency Response services, electronic critical intensive care, teleradiology and additional/ upgraded videoconferencing equipment.  Project consists of twenty-one end-user sites and six hubs. 

Your Nebraska contact for information on the Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program is Andre Boening, (402) 543-2129 or aboening@wdc.usda.gov.