Virginia
University of Virginia
Office of Telemedicine Health Services Center
Type of Grant: TOP
Amount of Grant: $412,269
Non-Federal Support: $882,550
Date of Grant: October 1997-June 2002
Contact: Eugene Sullivan
Phone: (434) 924-5470
Email: genes@virginia.edu
The University of Virginia's Telemedicine Program, with the support of a TOP grant, has been able to provide more than 4,500 patients with access to specialized medical care, clinical services and health-related educational programming. To date, the University's telemedicine center has been able to provide professional consultation in 24 different specialties to underserved populations in remote regions throughout the state.
On December 31, 1999 in a West Virginia hospital, a baby was born with an undetermined heart condition. The baby was transferred to a larger hospital 20 miles away that had more sophisticated equipment, but no pediatric cardiologist. The following day, University of Virginia's Telemedicine Program received an emergency request for a doctor to read the pediatric ultrasound. Using telemedicine, Dr. Karen Rheuban of UVA's Telemedicine program was able to advise them to change the medicine immediately and have the baby transported to University of Virginia's hospital for surgery. That baby is now a healthy two-year old.
In addition to providing specialized medical care to rural patients, telemedicine provides new and exciting learning opportunities to isolated medical professionals, allowing the University to broadcast medical classes and seminars to remote sites. World-renowned specialists come to UVA and are able to teach physicians all over the state.
Virginia
Wesley Housing Development Corporation/ National Capital Area Neighborhood Networks Consortium (NCANN)
Type of Grant: CTC
Amount of Grant: $186,967
Non-Federal Support: $197,049
Date of Grant: October 2001-October 2002
Project partners: AHC, Inc.; Community Preservation & Development Corp.; Edgewood Management Corp; Interstate Realty Management; National Homes Trust; and Wesley Housing Development Corporation.
Contact: Fritz Hirsch
Phone: (703) 642-3830, extension 236
Email: fhirsch@whdc.org
With the support of a US Department of Education CTC grant, the National Capital Area Neighborhood Networks Consortium (NCANN), a network of community technology centers spanning northern Virginia, the District of Columbia, and southern Maryland, will be able to serve 780 low-income residents living in HUD-assisted housing units. This funding has made it possible for NCANN to hire a full-time project director, provide its members with computer lab tech support, and fund a variety of its members' needs (e.g. new staff, lab renovation, new computers). NCANN member centers offer computer skills training, GED preparation and ESL classes, adult basic education classes and employment training as well as employment search assistance. The centers also provide after school programs that offer homework assistance, computer training and classes to improve reading, writing and math skills.
NCANN's community technology centers are a vehicle for strengthening the viability of affordable housing and improving the overall community environment. Fritz Hirsch, NCANN Project Director, strongly believes in the programs' potential to create positive change. "Offering computer classes, access to technology and employment readiness training increases employability, lessens the demand on the government to provide services for low-income residents, and creates a sense of community which lowers property vandalism and the occurrence of violence".
