WAUTOMA, Wis. (WBAY) – New telemedicine devices are expanding in rural areas, which have impacted nearly 60,000 Wisconsinites in recent years.
Representatives from the United States Department of Agriculture visited Wautoma Thursday morning to highlight their impact on this agency’s more than $200,000 investment for rural residents. This visit included a tour of the Waushara County EMS facility, one of their many vehicles, and seeing the “MEDIC” device at work.
“We don’t tell rural what to do, they told us what they needed. They came to USDA and said, ‘We think this can help change our community and change people’s lives.’ They asked for it, then we were able to fund them with our grant authority. So, this is a win-win for everybody,” said Lillian Salerno, the acting deputy undersecretary for the USDA.
The “Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant” program started in 2021, funding more than $257 million towards rural modern telehealth and distance learning opportunities, with over $1 million going to Wisconsin.
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