USDA Rural Development Awards Three Distance Learning Telehealth Medicine Awards

USDA State Director Betsy Dirksen Londrigan announced that USDA made three Distance Learning and Telehealth Medicine Awards to Illinois medical facilities. The funds will equip the facilities with secure medical hub/service sites and enable providers to offer remote medical appointments to patients.

One of the recipients serves a portion of this area. 

HSHS St. John's Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis received a $908,000 investment to purchase telemedicine equipment that wil provide eight end-user sites in six counties including Shelby County. It will also deliver mental health services and include pain medication management and education, prevention, treatment and recover care for opioid substance use disorder to seven locations, benefitting over 440,000 individuals.

The program is designed to help rural communities use advanced telecommunications technology to connect to each other, and the world, overcoming the effects of remoteness and low population density.