December 8, 2021 10:40 a.m.

This week U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Acting State Director Jill Rees announced that the agency is investing nearly $107,500 for Mercy Foundation, to expand health care access in rural Douglas County.

Rees said, “There has never been a more urgent need for rural communities to have access to immediate, responsive and modern healthcare. With this funding, Mercy Foundation will expand their ability to support children and youth through flexible, supportive telehealth services”.

A release said the funds will help Mercy Foundation be able to increase access to health care in 22 rural schools in the county. USDA’s participation supports Mercy Foundation’s partnership with local providers Cow Creek Health and Wellness Center and Evergreen Family Medicine to provide school-based telehealth services with a virtual care system for 6,400 students. The release said the system will close the gaps in access to rural care to improve health outcomes for low-income vulnerable youth.

The award is funded, through USDA’s “Distance Learning and Telemedicine” program. It helps fund distance learning and telemedicine services in rural areas to increase access to education, training and health care resources that are otherwise limited or unavailable.