USDA invests $1.1M to expand telehealth access in rural Vermont

North Country Hospital, based in Newport, Vt., has received a $1.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to expand telehealth services, Vermont Biz reported Aug. 22.

The investment will support updated equipment and technologies to improve patient access to remote specialists across the Northeast Kingdom region. Key initiatives include round-the-clock radiology consultations, emergency room telepsychiatry visits and remote neurology support to accelerate diagnostic and treatment decisions in critical care settings.

The funding is aimed at reducing long travel times and delays in specialist access for rural patients. North Country Hospital said the grant will also help cut unnecessary hospital transfers and improve coordination among providers.

Tom Frank, CEO of North Country Hospital, said the investment would allow the organization to expand local access to psychiatric, neurological and radiology care.

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