By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Technology continues to change the service landscape. Three years ago, Barton County received a Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Tuesday morning, IT Director Dereck Hollingshead went before the Barton County Commission to seek approval on a similar grant.
"Barton County was awarded a 2023 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for distance learning and telemedicine," he said. "This is similar to the grant the county received from USDA in 2020. The 2023 USDA B grant totals $185,745. Barton County will be required to pay a match on this grant for a total of $28,730, roughly 15 percent."
Hollingshead worked with County Counselor Patrick Hoffman and Marissa Woodmansee, director of Juvenile Services, to apply for the grant. The 20th Judicial District serves clients in Barton, Stafford, Ellsworth, Rice, and Russell counties, and Woodmansee said this grant will directly benefit both those clients and the county.
"When we have those clients in a neighboring county, we can continue to provide our services without interruption," she said. "It also removes a barrier for our clients when you think of transportation and time, but then that's also reciprocated for us."
The rural development investment will help establish distance learning programs that connect vulnerable populations across rural counties to vital services not in their communities.