WASHINGTON, D.C. — On National Rural Health Day, Senator Steve Daines announced more than $350,000 in funding for rural Montana telehealth and mental health services.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that USDA Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grants have been awarded to Western Montana Mental Health Center and St. Patrick Hospital Foundation.
Daines wrote a letter of support for St. Patrick Hospital’s plan to build the Western Montana Telepsychiatry Network – a partnership between St. Patrick Hospital and rural Montana hospitals. By providing access to high-quality behavioral health professionals and services through telepsychiatry and distance learning, St. Patrick Hospital can address the behavioral health needs of rural hospitals and clinics, care providers and patients.
“Telemedicine provides a timely, realistic and cost-effective way for hospitals and clinics in Montana’s rural counties to access needed high-quality behavioral health care,” Daines stated. “These grants will provide needed resources to expand these services across Montana and ensure our rural residents have access to the mental health services they need.”
St. Patrick Hospital Foundation has been granted $72,870 to purchase equipment necessary to build the telenetwork.
USDA has also granted $288,061 to Western Montana Mental Health Center to provide a range of mental health services, including routine behavioral health medication management, to Montana residents.
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