PORTLAND, Maine - Maine's two United States senators say six health care organizations across the state are going to be able to expand online services and reach more of the state's residents.Republican Sen. Susan Collins and independent Sen. Angus King say the grant of more than $2.1 million is from the United States Department of Agriculture's Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program.
The largest single grant of $500,000 will go to the University of Maine System to upgrade distance learning, enabling the university to provide teaching services to more than 29,000 students in rural Maine.
Almost $474,000 will go to MaineHealth to create a telemedicine network to treat opioid disorders experienced by women and infants in rural Maine.
The USDA program brings services to rural areas through computer networks and related advanced technologies.