FINGER LAKES--U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand 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 (DLT) Program to advance educational opportunities and expand access to health care in rural areas.
For the counties of Yates, Ontario, Seneca and Wayne, Finger Lakes Community College will see $968,805. This investment will be used to equip three hub sites, 13 hub end-user sites, and eight end-users with distance learning equipment and technology. The sites will include dedicated classrooms, mobile classrooms, and/or huddle rooms. Mental health professionals will deliver mental health preventive education and counseling, and substance abuse prevention education and counseling, while educators will also deliver expanded educational opportunities to include dual credits, share educational courses, and other activities. Instructors at Finger Lakes Community College will deliver career-technical education courses to 21 locations benefiting 7,669 individuals.
“From Ontario to Otsego County, this nearly $2 million federal investment in telemedicine and distance learning help[s] upstate New Yorkers get connected to better healthcare,” said Senator Schumer. “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. No matter where you live, you should always be able to access high-quality healthcare. I am proud to help bring these federal dollars home to New York – leveraging this cutting-edge communications and distance learning technology to benefit hundreds of thousands of rural Upstate New Yorkers.”
Rural development funds from the USDA’s Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program help communities use telecommunications technology to connect to each other, overcoming the effects of remoteness and low population density. Grants are provided to projects that promote equity and economic opportunity in America, specifically those that support health care needs and improve equity. Congress has provided USDA Rural Development with $60 million in DLT funding this fiscal year. The DLT grant program helps rural residents tap into the potential of the internet to improve education and health care.
“This federal investment will help make sure that New Yorkers have access to preventative health care and treatment no matter where they live,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Telemedicine is a lifeline for communities across our state and I’m proud to be working to expand access to it.”
For the counties of Yates, Ontario, Seneca and Wayne, Finger Lakes Community College will see $968,805. This investment will be used to equip three hub sites, 13 hub end-user sites, and eight end-users with distance learning equipment and technology. The sites will include dedicated classrooms, mobile classrooms, and/or huddle rooms. Mental health professionals will deliver mental health preventive education and counseling, and substance abuse prevention education and counseling, while educators will also deliver expanded educational opportunities to include dual credits, share educational courses, and other activities. Instructors at Finger Lakes Community College will deliver career-technical education courses to 21 locations benefiting 7,669 individuals.
“From Ontario to Otsego County, this nearly $2 million federal investment in telemedicine and distance learning help[s] upstate New Yorkers get connected to better healthcare,” said Senator Schumer. “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. No matter where you live, you should always be able to access high-quality healthcare. I am proud to help bring these federal dollars home to New York – leveraging this cutting-edge communications and distance learning technology to benefit hundreds of thousands of rural Upstate New Yorkers.”
Rural development funds from the USDA’s Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program help communities use telecommunications technology to connect to each other, overcoming the effects of remoteness and low population density. Grants are provided to projects that promote equity and economic opportunity in America, specifically those that support health care needs and improve equity. Congress has provided USDA Rural Development with $60 million in DLT funding this fiscal year. The DLT grant program helps rural residents tap into the potential of the internet to improve education and health care.
“This federal investment will help make sure that New Yorkers have access to preventative health care and treatment no matter where they live,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Telemedicine is a lifeline for communities across our state and I’m proud to be working to expand access to it.”
