Centura Health Receives $257,000 Grant from USDA
Centura Health, the region’s health care leader, in conjunction with its Affiliate Hospitals, today announced it received a $257,000 grant for telecommunications equipment from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Distance Learning and Telemedicine Loan and Grant Program (DLT). This grant further supports development of shared programs between Centura Health and its Affiliate Hospitals to expand access to clinical services in Colorado’s rural communities for delivery of high-value care.
The DLT grant will fund one telemedicine mobile exam cart equipped with high definition video conferencing and built-in medical devices, including a digital stethoscope, at each of Centura Health’s Colorado Affiliate Hospitals as well as Mercy Regional Medical Center in Durango, Colo. It also funds 16 secure video conferencing units for Colorado Health Neighborhoods’ specialty providers to deliver clinical care to patients through the mobile exam carts. These two telecommunications technologies work together to bring specialists to patients locally. Colorado has not received a DLT grant since 2010 and the grant awarded to Centura Health further supports efforts to remove barriers to care and promotes access to high-quality, evidence-based health care services, keeping health care local and nurturing the health of communities across the region.
USDA DISTANCE LEARNING AND TELEMEDICINE LOAN AND GRANT PROGRAM SPECIFICS
DLT provides grants to entities delivering education, training and health care resources in rural areas. Grant recipients must prove there is an economic need and provide at least 15 percent in matching funds. Centura Health, in conjunction with its Affiliate Hospitals, will supplement the grant with $78,000 in matching funds.
In August 2013, the DLT program received 185 eligible grant applications and approximately 25 percent met the scoring criteria to receive funds.
The grant Centura Health received is designated to support rural health care in Colorado. While Centura Health has eight Affiliate Hospitals in Colorado and western Kansas, only its Colorado Affiliates are eligible to receive equipment through this grant. These hospitals include:
- Conejos County Hospital (part of San Luis Valley Health) in La Jara
- Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center in Salida
- Lincoln Community Hospital & Nursing Home in Hugo
- Middle Park Medical Center in Kremmling and Granby
- Rio Grande Hospital in Del Norte
- San Luis Valley Regional Medical Center in Alamosa
- St. Vincent Hospital in Leadville
IMPROVING HEALTH CARE VALUE
Centura Health and its Affiliate Hospitals believe health care should be delivered locally whenever possible. Keeping health care local contributes to a community’s livability and economic viability and is a critical consideration for the rural provider.
By collaborating long-term to provide specific resources and services that support development of shared programs, Centura Health and its Affiliate Hospitals are working to expand existing clinical services and specialties delivered in rural communities to improve the value of health care.
QUOTE
“Meeting the health care needs of rural America is critical to ensuring every individual has access to high-value care when and where it is needed,” said Samantha Lippolis, telehealth manager, Centura Health. “We are excited to have the USDA recognize the health care needs of residents living in Colorado’s rural communities and support our efforts to optimize health care value, ultimately leading to improved health outcomes, increased service and convenience, and lower health care costs.”