Department of Health and Human Services
HHS Logo Bottom
HHS Yellow Bar

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, Sept. 12, 2003

Contact: HRSA Press Office
(301) 443-3376

HHS AWARDS $3.7 MILLION TO IMPROVE RURAL TELEHEALTH OUTREACH

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced 15 grants totaling $3.74 million to support telehealth projects that help improve access to health care services in rural and remote areas.

The grants will support existing telehealth networks, including projects that will help develop community-based clinical telemedicine efforts, establish distance-learning opportunities for health professionals, and support patient education programs on managing chronic conditions such as diabetes, asthma, osteoporosis and congestive heart failure.

"Successful telehealth projects can extend high-quality health care to rural Americans who otherwise would live too far away from the major medical centers," Secretary Thompson said. "We are committed to exploring and implementing new technologies and strategies to strengthen health care delivery as part of our broader strategy for improving rural health care."

The grant program is funded by HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration through its Office for the Advancement of Telehealth, which coordinates HRSA's telehealth activities and promotes the wider use of advanced video and computer technologies to deliver health care and training to people in remote locations.

"Telehealth programs help us achieve our mission of improving access to quality health care for all Americans -- especially those who face geographic barriers that prevent them from getting the care they need," HRSA Administrator Elizabeth M. Duke said.

A list of grantees follows.

FY 2003 Telehealth Network Program Grants

Organization

City

State

Amount

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, AHEC

Little Rock

Ark.

$245,454

Arizona Board of Regents, University of Arizona

Tucson

Ariz.

$250,000

Ware County Health Department

Waycross

Ga.

$249,172

University of Kansas Medical Center

Kansas Cit

y

Kan.

$249,820

University of Kentucky, Research Foundation

Lexingto

n

Ky.

$248,533

Regional Medical Center at Lubec

Lubec

Maine

$250,000

University of Minnesota

Minneapolis

Minn.

$249,460

Benefis Healthcare Foundation

Great Fall

s

Mont.

$250,000

University of New Mexico

Albuquerque

N.M.

$249,983

Duke University Medical Center

Durham

N.C.

$250,000

Southern Consortium for Children

Athens

Ohio

$250,000

Avera Rural Health Institute

Yankton

S.D.

$250,000

University of Tennessee

Knoxville

Tenn.

$249,134

University of Texas Health Science Ctr. at San Antonio

San Antonio

Texas

$250,000

Marshfield Medical Research & Education Foundation

Marshfield

Wis.

$250,000

TOTAL: $3,741,556

###


Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.

Last Revised: September 12, 2003

HHS Home | Questions? | Contact HHS | Site Map | Accessibility | Privacy Policy | Freedom of Information Act | Disclaimers

The White House | FirstGov