The U.S. Department of Agriculture this week awarded a $443,417 grant to Lake Regional Health System to establish a telemedicine program to serve five rural counties.
The Lake Regional Mid-Missouri Telemedicine Program will provide services to 11 hospital-owned and hospital-leased rural clinics — and one partner site — in Miller, Morgan, Camden, Pulaski and Laclede counties.
Lake Regional will serve as the hub — where the physician provides the telemedicine. It can also be used as the end-user site — where patients go to receive telemedicine access.
End-user sites are to be established in clinics in Eldon, Lake Ozark, Osage Beach, Iberia, Laurie, Camdenton, Macks Creek and Lebanon, and in outreach sites in Richland and Versailles.
The funds are to be used for audio, visual and technical medical equipment to provide end-user diagnostic capabilities. These tools will be integrated with computer equipment in the network. They will also be used for provider education and training.
Jeff Case, USDA Rural Development Missouri director, on Wednesday announced more than $1.4 million in projects aimed at increasing access to health care in rural Missouri.
The Lake Regional grant will also be used to keep health care providers aware of innovations in the field and to enable the use of behavioral and other counseling services, such as opioid misuse treatment.