DLT opioid grants

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Utilities Service awarded a $908,125 Project Grant to St. John's Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis (doing business as HSHS St. John's Hospital) on August 7, 2023. The funding is provided through the Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) Loans and Grants program (CFDA 10.855), which aims to improve access to educational and healthcare services in rural areas through advanced telecommunications technologies.

The grant enables St. John's Hospital to expand the delivery of telemedicine and distance learning capabilities to rural populations. This includes providing inpatient care, outpatient treatment, testing, and consultations remotely via telecommunications equipment, computer networks, and related technologies. St. John's Hospital collaborates on a subaward basis with organizations such as the University of Illinois and local health departments to support these telemedicine and distance learning initiatives that benefit rural residents.