Nevada
Nevada Rural Hospital Project
Type of Grant: TOP
Amount of Grant: $250,000
Non-Federal Support: $257,690
Date of Grant: October 1996-September 1998
Project Partners: University of Nevada School of Medicine and Nursing, Nevada State Department of Information Technology, Nevada Office of Rural Health, Local Workforce Development Council, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Contact: Michael J. McMahon, Director of Policy and Program Development
Phone: (775) 827-4770
Email: mike@nrhp.org
With the support of a TOP grant, the Nevada Rural Hospital Project Foundation and the Nevada Office of Rural Health were able to develop the necessary infrastructure to electronically link 11 rural hospitals. The resulting Wide Area Network enhances communications among and between healthcare providers. It also enables Nevada's small and rural hospitals to more fully utilize telemedicine and teleradiology services in rural areas. This has helped in the conversion of some facilities to critical access hospitals. Michael McMahon, Director of Policy and Program Development for the project, says that this project not only benefits the residents of these rural areas, but also the 15 million people who visit Nevada annually.
This technology provides rural residents with high-speed access to healthcare information and supports rural healthcare centers in more than just emergency medical situations. The technology supports the viability of rural communities through the on-line continuing education credits for health care professionals, nursing education, and courses in healthcare support services that are available to local residents. Additionally, workforce development funds will provide tuition assistance for those interested in pursuing careers in healthcare via the technology provided through the Nevada Rural Hospital Project.
Nevada
Community College of Southern Nevada Neighborhood Education Center
Type of Grant: CTC
Amount of Grant: $491,314
Non-Federal Support: $535,032
Date of Grant: 1999-2002
Project Partners: Nevada Partners, Inc., the A.D. Guy Center
Contact: Norma Bucelato, Interim Executive Director, Resource Development
Phone: (702) 651-7343
Email: norma_bucelato@cssn.nevada.edu
West Las Vegas has a high number of unemployed adults and a high incidence of gang-related crime and violence. Through a CTC grant, the Community College of Southern Nevada (CCSN) has established two computer access points in West Las Vegas where residents have an opportunity to receive computer training. For example, the four-week Computer Sampler course for students with basic computer literacy enables them to progress to a basic skill level in software and Internet use. These courses are offered in the hope that once residents feel comfortable with computers, they will take the more advanced computer courses regularly offered by CCSN. The education center also helps participants find jobs.
The CCSN Community Technology Centers are part of the CCSN Neighborhood Education Centers, which seek to provide a wide range of services for West Las Vegas residents, including health care information, job development, family counseling and support services, and housing support. As of September 2001, the A.D. Guy Center site has served over 380 individuals, and 246 area residents have used the Nevada Partners site.
A Hispanic single mother of three came to one of the CCSN computer technology centers looking for computer training that would improve her ability to obtain a job. After participating in the free introductory computer sessions offered by the CTC, along with other classes available at the education center, she enrolled in the community college. The knowledge that she gained enabled her to eventually find employment with a major Las Vegas hotel as a corporate retail accounts payable clerk.
