"Rural Americans deserve the same opportunities for medical care as metropolitan-area residents," US Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a news release announcing another round of rural healthcare grants from the USDA. The department’s Rural Development Program authorized $30.2 million to fund 100 telemedicine programs in 34 states.

Some programs that will be funded include: $108,820 for the Maine Sea Coast Missionary Society to purchase video equipment for a medical exam room onboard a ship; and $262,742 to Loring Hospital in Sac City, Iowa for video conferencing equipment connecting emergency rooms with area schools and nursing homes.

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