The State Director of the USDA Rural Development program paid a visit to Lake Chelan Community Hospital yesterday morning to present a grant totaling over to supply equipment and software for the hospital’s Distance Learning and Telemedicine program.

LCCH Board of Commissioners President David Dickes says the grant is intended to help improve access to critical healthcare for residents living in remote rural areas of North Central Washington, without having to leave their home communities.

The state director of the USDA, Mario Villanueva says the program is designed to encourage and improve the use of telecommunications, computer networks and related technology and make it more affordable for rural communities to improve access to medical services, and is a credit to the leadership of the local hospital.