PRESS RELEASE:  DATED OCT. 8, 2004 @ 1:00 PM in HOWARD, SD

 Lynn Jensen, State Director for the US Dept. of Agriculture’s Rural Development Program announced today that the USDA’s Rural Utilities Service: Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program (DL-T) has awarded $202,720.00 in funds to Horizon Health Care, Inc. 

John Mengenhausen, Horizon’s CEO, accepted the funds and sincerely thanked Lynn Jensen for his vision and strong support for improving access to quality, affordable primary health care for South Dakota’s rural and frontier residents.  The DL-T Project utilizes ‘state of the art’ technology to equip South Dakota’s CHC’s (Community Health Centers like the Howard Community Health Center, 208 S. Main St in Howard) and connects them into a ‘high tech’ network that allows exceptional access to data & information, streamlines their operational performance, and provides opportunities for continued medical education for their health care providers through Video Conferencing.

Previously, with USDA funding support, Horizon Health Care, Inc. piloted a DL-T Project that ‘connected’ 7 of its’ 12 Community Health Center Sites.  That model has been very successful in improving operational performance, quality assurance, and removing the ‘isolation’ felt by the health care providers in some of these ‘remote’ clinic sites.  The current USDA initiative allows the Dakota Network of Community Health Centers (funded through Horizon Health Care, Inc) to work with the other CHC organizations in the Dakotas and eventually ‘connect the dots’ and create a ‘high tech network’ of the 28 CHC related sites.  Tom Olson, Director of the Dakota Network of CHC’s, explained the capabilities of the ‘electronic network’ and the importance to Rural and Frontier Areas in the Dakotas.

Dr. Jim Beddow and Randy Parry, representing the Rural Learning Center (also based in Howard), were present at the USDA event and spoke of the ‘partnership’ between the Rural Learning Center, Horizon Health Care and the Dakota Network of CHC’s. They commented that “clearly this is a very important next step in creating an informational pathway to our rural/frontier areas and is essential as we move forward focusing on improving the quality of life in South Dakota’s small towns.  We recognize the importance of these health care providers and look forward to future partnering opportunities with them and their respective communities.”  “We also would like to recognize USDA’s Rural Development State Director, Lynn Jensen, and thank him for his continued vision and focus on the needs of rural South Dakota residents.”