Lexington, KY– U.S. Congressman Andy Barr (KY-06) announced a $869,604.00 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Rural Development grant to the Saint Joseph Hospital Foundation for the expansion of telemedicine in the Kentucky’s Sixth Congressional District. The grant funding comes from the Rural Development’s Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant Program. Saint Joseph Hospital Foundation services constituents of the Sixth Congressional District in Fayette, Madison, Montgomery, Clark and Fleming Counties.
“Telemedicine is a critical tool in the fight against COVID-19. By utilizing telemedicine, we limit exposure of possible COVID-19 positive patients to healthcare workers, nurses and doctors, saving on personal protective equipment and cutting down on transmission of COVID-19 in medical offices and hospitals,” said Congressman Barr. “I commend Saint Joseph Hospital Foundation for embracing telemedicine as a way to protect their staff and better treat their patients moving forward.”
“We know that Kentucky has poor health outcomes related to several chronic conditions,” said Leslie Buddeke Smart, CFRE, president, Saint Joseph Hospital Foundation. “In many rural counties, the health outcomes are much worse than the statewide average. This project will help us to improve access to higher levels of care for acute and chronic conditions than is available in those rural counties now. We are grateful for this federal funding and the support of Congressman Andy Barr as we extend this advanced level of care to the rural communities that we serve.”
Congressman Barr supported this grant application through a letter of support to the USDA Rural Development. Congressman Barr has also championed the expansion of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic. In April of 2020, Congressman Barr successfully led the effort to persuade the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) to expand coverage of telehealth services to include same-location services. Congressman Barr also voted for the 2020 year-end COVID-19 relief package, which provided an additional $250 million to expand telehealth services in the United States.