“The big picture is this whole (funding program) was very quick, especially for a federally funded grant program,” Bennett said.
State proposals on broad initiatives to pursue were due less than six months after the bill was signed, organizations had to submit applications a few months after the opportunities were outlined and awards were supposed to go out a few months after that. Most of the money appears to have gone to existing programs, like hospitals and established groups that were already trying to improve rural health and access, in the hopes the money could be spent quickly, Bennett said.
“They’re hopeful that these folks can hit the ground running and spend it and do some things with it,” he said. But it appears “very disjointed” in terms of an overall effort.
MUSC benefits
Another big recipient was Medical University of South Carolina, MUSC Health and its rural hospital network, which Post and Courier analysis shows received just over $18.5 million in 18 grants. A big chunk, $4.5 million, will go to the Center for Telehealth, which reaches across the state, to upgrade its equipment and outreach, said Timothy Stemmler, MUSC vice president for research.
“We had to modernize IT infrastructure so we can expand,” he said.
That could enable new ways of using the network to diagnose and monitor patients in rural areas for things like dementia or cardiovascular health. MUSC regional hospitals, such as in Lancaster, Chester and Orangeburg, also received much-needed facility upgrades. In Orangeburg, the hospital is getting $725,000 to expand its ability to remotely monitor its patients.
“You can see that money is going right into clinical delivery” in aiding patients, Stemmler said. Another $643,000 will be used to expand MUSC Health’s chronic disease management services across the state. Money is also set aside for a mobile cancer screening program. That feeds into larger initiatives, such as increasing the reach of its Hollings Cancer Center, which is building toward National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center status. Or expanding brain health and Alzheimer’s disease outreach statewide, Stemmler said.
Source: www.postandcourier.com
