U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand on Wednesday announced $1,933,699 in federal funding to invest in expanding telemedicine and distance learning to help medical professionals and students across rural New York.
The senators said the investment was administered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program to advance educational opportunities and expand access to health care to in rural areas.
Some of that money will be coming to this area.
“From Ontario to Otsego County, this nearly $2 million federal investment in telemedicine and distance learning to help Upstate New Yorkers get connected to better healthcare,” Schumer said in a media release. Telemedicine is a lifeline for our rural communities ensuring patients can see the medical professionals they need and getting care to some of our most vulnerable and hard to reach residents.”
“This federal investment will help make sure that New Yorkers have access to preventative health care and treatment no matter where they live,” Gillibrand said. “Telemedicine is a lifeline for communities across our state and I’m proud to be working to expand access to it.”
Locally, Northern Catskills BOCES will receive $74,246 to equip two hub/end-user sites in Delaware County with Cisco WebEx Room Kit Plus and Cisco WebEx Mini. The project will connect students and staff to nearly 700 distance courses and professional development opportunities to two locations benefiting 1,052 students, according to the release.
Bassett Medical Center will receive $481,343 to equip one hub site and six end user sites in Otsego, Herkimer, Schoharie and Delaware counties with on-site carts that will use peripheral devices to allow for a detailed physical. Medical professionals at Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown will deliver Tele-ICU to six locations benefiting 914 individuals, the release said.
Rural Development funds from the USDA’s Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program “helps rural communities use advanced telecommunications technology to connect to each other — and the world — overcoming the effects of remoteness and low population density,” the release said.
Grants are provided to projects that “promote equity and economic opportunity in rural America, specifically those that support health care needs stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and help prepare for future pandemic events, ensure racial equity, rebuild our rural economy, and address the climate crisis,” according to the release.