The grant, which was awarded by the United States Department of Agriculture, will be used to implement tele-health and remote patient technology throughout Maury Regional's six-county coverage area. Many of these patients live in rural communities, or suffer from chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, congestive heart failure and chronic pulmonary disease.
The remote technology will allow patients to receive continued health without having to leave the home. Using Bluetooth technology, doctors can now connect with patients 24/7. The device also alerts health providers to lapses in self-management or worsening conditions, keeping an up-to-date record on a patient's health, or if an emergency response is needed.
"This grant from the USDA is designed to help rural communities utilize the unique capabilities of telemedicine to overcome the effects of remote locations and low population density — aiming to connect patients in one area with medical service providers in another," said MRH Vice President of Population Health Mark Kirschbaum. "Maury Regional's intent is to keep patients engaged, healthier and out of the hospital while decreasing hospitalizations and readmissions, improving health outcomes and reducing costs of care."
Tennessee Rural Development State Director Jim Tracy presented the grant to Maury Regional staff and city leaders Friday, saying this is one of the largest grants the program awards, and that it will create a positive impact to how patients in rural areas receive care, potentially saving many lives in the process.
"[Maury Regional] is one of the few facilities in the state that has this piece of equipment, and this is going to save lives," Tracy said. "We're all about rural development, and when you're talking about rural development, you're not only talking about infrastructure, water, sewer, roads ... but health care is also a key thing. A lot of rural communities are really struggling with health care."
The USDA's Distance Learning and Telemedicine grant program, from which the award is funded, supports 133 projects in 37 states and two U.S. territories. In total, the project benefits an estimated 5.4 billion rural residents, according to a MRH press release.
MRH CEO Alan Watson said this grant is "further evidence" of Maury Regional's continued commitment to improving the health of patients by utilizing technological advances, which will save patients from having to travel long distances to receive the care they need.
"Maury Regional being a community-owned system, we don't have the 'painter mix' that the big systems up in Nashville have," Watson said. "We really are serving it forward under certain people throughout Middle Tennessee, and having the assistance of the USDA to help us do that is very important for Maury Regional. It helps maintain a good and strong medical center here in Columbia for all citizens, but it also helps reach into rural areas that other systems do not want to, because there isn't any payment for that. We're committed to these six counties in southern Middle Tennessee, and appreciate the USDA and Tennessee Rural Development for helping us do that."
©2020 The Daily Herald (Columbia, Tenn.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
