OZARK, Ala. (WDHN) — The Dale County School Board announced Friday that a $741,190 grant from the Department of Agriculture will be used to improve medical technology and telehealth in the county.
The funds will go to the Healthy, Educated Alabama: Resilience through Technology project, which focuses on bringing technology to health science teachers, students and mental health staff.
Additional program components include telemedicine equipment career training.
Professor Baker called the funding a “game changer” and said it would improve healthcare overall and prepare students for future careers.
“They will have this technology that we use in our hospitals, so they will be able to learn skills on what we use in our hospitals,” he said.
Alabama Department of Agriculture Secretary Nibodie Gordon Jr. said the funding is important for rural areas that sometimes lack resources for mental health care.
“There are a lot of disparities in rural areas because they may not have the resources to keep state-of-the-art facilities running,” Gordon said. “We are here to provide financial assistance to help communities rebuild their health systems.”
Friday's funding announcement follows the 2020 Municipal Services Grants, which focused on expanding medical education, improving mental health care and improving access to services for students.
It also aims to improve diagnostic and treatment services.
“We are excited about the opportunities this will bring not only to students but also to our employees,” Baker said.
