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| <p><strong>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:</strong></p> |
| <p>February 4, 2004 Tammi Schone - (605) 352-1102 </p> |
| <p><strong>FEDERAL OFFICIALS AWARD DISTANCE LEARNING TELEMEDICINE GRANT</strong></p> |
| <p><strong>Aberdeen </strong>– Lynn D. Jensen, USDA Rural Development State Director, presented Avera St. Luke’s Hospital with a $252,875 grant award. The federal grant from the Rural Utilities Service, who distributes and administers Distance Learning Telemedicine loans and grants, will assist the hospital in expanding its services. </p> |
| <p>Jensen said, “I am pleased that USDA Rural Development grant funds will assist the Avera St. Luke’s Hospital in expanding their teleradiological services to the community. This will allow rural residents to have access to advanced medical resources afforded to the more populous areas.” </p> |
| <p>The Avera St. Luke’s Hospital will utilize the RUS grant funds to provide teleradiology services to four critical access facilities (Marshall County Healthcare Center/Avera Health - Britton, Bowdle Healthcare Center/Clinic - Bowdle, Community Memorial Hospital - Redfield, and Holy Infant Hospital – Hoven); one non-critical facility (Hand County Memorial Hospital/Avera Health – Miller); and two clinics (Ipswich Clinic – Ipswich and Ellendale Clinic – Ellendale, ND) in exceptionally rural communities. Benefits of the teleradiology project include reduced travel costs for patients and medical providers, better management of patients, and wider delivery of services to approximately 38,000 residents in the Edmunds, Hand, Marshall, Potter, McPherson, and Spink Counties in South Dakota, in addition to Dickey County in North Dakota.</p> |
| <p>Todd Forkel, Radiology Operations Manager at Avera St. Luke’s said, “General Electric, our vendor, said there are very few sites in the entire country doing what we’ll accomplish with this. Each day, each month, it gets easier and easier working with the Picture Archival and Communications System (PACS).” </p> |
| <p>USDA Rural Development's mission is to deliver programs in a way that will support increasing economic opportunity and improve the quality of life of rural residents. Rural Development is Rural America's Venture Capitalist. Providing equity, liquidity, and technical assistance to finance and foster growth in homeownership, business development, and critical community and technology infrastructure. Further information on these and other rural programs is available at a local USDA Rural Development office or by visiting USDA's web site at HYPERLINK http://www.rurdev.usda.gov http://www.rurdev.usda.gov.</p> |
| <p><strong>-USDA-</strong></p> |
| <p><em>The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audio tape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14</em><em>th</em><em> and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice or TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity employer.</em></p> |
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