CHEYENNE – Southwestern Oklahoma State University’s College of Pharmacy Rural Health Center recently received a $1 million United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development Distance Learning and Telemedicine grant, which will provide telemedicine equipment to rural schools across Oklahoma, U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas recently announced.
“Bridging the digital divide isn’t just convenient for our communities – it’s necessary if we’re going to ensure our rural neighbors have the same access to health care, learning opportunities and economic growth as our suburban neighbors,” Lucas said. “As Congress and federal agencies like the USDA continue to invest in rural America, it’s programs like USDA’s Rural Development Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant program that are critically important to expanding medical and educational access across our communities.”
In a collaboration with Poteau Public Schools and Eastern Oklahoma Medical Center, SWOSU will use the grant to enhance its existing telehealth programs in southeast Oklahoma and promote the expansion of telemedicine programs in 18 public schools and rural communities in western Oklahoma. The total population of the towns being served is more than 50,000 people, with more than 12,000 students.
Those communities include Arapaho, Arnett, Burns Flat, Cheyenne, Clinton, Cordell and Elk City.
Additionally, students in SWOSU’s pharmacy and nursing programs will get a chance to experience using state-of-the-art equipment and focus on providing quality health care in a digital environment.