USDA grants to impact Perkins County
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue recently announced that USDA is awarding grants for 128 projects to increase access to job training, educational and health care services in rural areas.
“Empowering rural Americans with access to services for quality of life and economic development is critical to rural prosperity,” Secretary Perdue said. “Distance learning and telemedicine technology bridges the gap that often exists between rural communities and essential education, workforce training and health care resources.”
USDA is awarding $39.6 million through the Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) Grant Program. More than 4.5 million residents in 40 states and three territories will benefit from the funding.
The following are summaries of USDA’s investments in rural Nebraska communities:
• Rural Nebraska Healthcare Network in Nebraska received a $265,159 Distance Telemedicine grant to help Rural Nebraska Healthcare Network replace obsolete telemedicine technology at nine sites in far western Nebraska to continue modernization of the existing tele-health system.
This project will install a core all-fiber backbone and paired electronics on the new network. innovative technology, computers, and software to enable all sites to deliver medical care predominantly aimed at opioid misuse, but also to provide primary, emergency, and specialty care using collaborative resources from all network clinics and hospitals.
Sites from this project will impact Perkins, Arthur, Banner, Box Butte, Cheyenne, Dawes, Duel, Garden, Grant, Keith, Kimball, Morrill, Scotts Bluff, Sheridan, and Sioux Counties. The project has potential to serve 43,840 residents.
• Educational Service Unit (ESU) No. 16 received a $500,000 Distance Learning grant to assist with implementing its Health Initiative for Living and Learning STEM (HILLS) program through the purchase and installation of video-conferencing equipment.
This project implements mobile distance learning carts at 30 public schools providing access to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education for students in 18 counties within South-Central Nebraska.
The project connects students to colleges and educational centers providing courses in agriculture, education, information technology, business, health science, and STEM education. The project will increase the number of graduating career and college ready students from among the 93,000 residents served.
• Mid-Plains Community College received a $101,133 Distance Learning Grant to replace outdated distance learning carts with more inclusive, updated distance learning technology. Distance learning carts will be installed at six campus sites in Keith, Chase, Lincoln, Custer and Red Willow counties to accommodate the growing demand for distance education courses.
Distance learning technology will be installed in laboratories and classrooms affiliated with Science, Technology, Education, and Mathematics instruction, where the technology currently does not exist. This project will benefit 41,496 rural residents.
• Rural Health Partners Inc. in Nebraska received a $499,800 Distance Telemedicine grant to help Heartland Health Alliance to use telemedicine technology to provide essential opioid misuse and treatment services, mental health and other medical specialty care throughout Nebraska, Western Iowa, and Northern Kansas.
• Southeast Community College in Nebraska received a $495,631 Distance Learning grant to create a multi-campus simulation center connecting Southeast Community College’s Lincoln and Beatrice campuses as well as the six learning centers.
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.