Rogers Announces Funding for Rural Telehealth Program
Press Release
Congressman Harold "Hal" Rogers (KY-05) announced today that the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) has awarded $385,955 to Lexington-based Saint Joseph Hospital Foundation to enhance and expand its rural mobile telemedicine and public health network. These funds will enable the St. Joseph Hospital Foundation to expand its existing multi-county mental health, nutritional and diabetes prevention program to schools and medical facilities in eight more rural counties, including Floyd, Laurel, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Knott and Owsley counties.
"Providing our hard-working families, seniors and veterans with access to quality healthcare is a top priority for me, and this is a big step forward to open up options for people in our most rural areas," stated Rogers. "With high gas prices, making a daily or weekly trip to Lexington can create financial and logistical challenges, and with this new telehealth program, patients will be able to be connected to health care specialists from sites all over rural Kentucky. This wise investment saves families time and money, while providing them with the access to the healthcare they deserve."
Founded in 1877, Saint Joseph is Lexington's first hospital and the area's largest not-for-profit hospital. Its important telehealth initiative is targeted at the early diagnosis of mental health disorders, nutritional disorders and diabetes. This funding will underwrite the acquisition of routers, medical peripheral equipment, network management software and installation costs so that 40-50 new patients might benefit from nutritional and diabetes counseling and as many as 325 patients might receive mental health counseling services. These ARC funds are provided through a special regional initiative that targets funds to encourage and support telemedicine applications. Combined with $164,432 in local funding, the project is projected to cost approximately $550,387 in total.
Rogers currently serves as a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee. Through this role, Rogers supports important initiatives in the Fifth Congressional District.
Source