North Carolina Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grants

Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan traveled to North Carolina to announce funding of over $500,000 in Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) grants to two regional health centers.

Merrigan announced the two North Carolina DLT grants during a visit to Vidant Health. Earlier in the day she gave keynote remarks at the USDA Small Business Training and Matchmaking conference and held a White House Business Council Round table with Morrisville producers and community members. Vidant Health received $161,047 in grant funding to provide video and audio telemedicine equipment to increase health care in four northeastern counties of rural North Carolina. Partnering with Vidant Health, Vidant Medical Center in Greenville will serve as the tertiary hospital to extend its specialty services to Vidant Duplin Hospital in Duplin County, Vidant Roanoke-Chowan Hospital in Hertford County, Vidant Chowan Hospital in Chowan County and Vidant Edgecombe Hospital in Edgecombe County. In addition, Ocracoke Health Center will receive $358,967 in grant funding for the purchase of cart-based video conferencing units specialized for medical practice that will allow 12 simultaneous connections with high definition video. The project also includes peripheral technology such as digital stethoscopes for exams and laptops used to access patient records.