Kalispell Regional Medical Center has been awarded a $373,658 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help reduce the gaps between the hospital and its patients in rural areas.

The hospital announced on Monday that the Rural Development Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program provided the grant to enhance telecommunications connectivity for four remote health-care centers.

The grant will go toward purchasing telemedicine-enabled toolkits for Marias Medical Center in Shelby, Pondera Medical Center in Conrad, Northern Rockies Medical Center in Cut Bank and Eureka Health Prompt Care.

Kalispell Regional Healthcare President Velinda Stevens said telecommunication technology allows physicians and nurses to provide remote diagnosis and treatment for patients who live in rural areas of Montana. “Telemedicine is the future of health care for rural areas,” Stevens said, “This is not only convenient for patients, but saves the costs of travel for those who have had to leave the area in the past to get these services.”

The toolkits include specialized medical instruments and a medical software video module that allows patients in rural areas to video-chat with medical practitioners from afar.

Rebecca Manna, the chief policy adviser at Kalispell Regional Medical Center, said the technology — which is often used for patients who need to see specialists or emergency physicians — will allow critical access hospitals to improve the quality of care in rural communities.

“What it really means at the end of the day is that these hospitals will now have the infrastructure to connect with larger hospitals in Montana, and really anywhere, to coordinate care and do even more for their patients and neighbors,” Manna said.

The grant followed two previous initiatives that helped pave the way for telemedicine in Northwest and North-central Montana.

The Federal Communications Commission awarded $13.6 million to fund the Health Information Exchange of Montana, which established an advanced fiber-optic network between Kalispell and remote sites.

Following that, a USDA Tele-Stroke grant funded robotic equipment that allows Kalispell neurologists to evaluate stroke patients in real time in rural communities.

Mellody Sharpton with Kalispell Regional said the aging telecommunications networks at the partner medical centers haven’t had the internal capacity needed for the systems to work well consistently. Upgrading the infrastructure is costly, Sharpton said.

Sharpton said the grant money — combined with a cash match from Kalispell Regional and the four rural partners — will support network components such as updating and adding switches, cabling, Wi-Fi controllers and access points.

She said the infrastructure upgrades will begin immediately and be completed over three years.

Sharpton said that the funding from the grant also will provide unity among the health care professionals throughout the state. She said that sense of security comes from physicians and nurses knowing that a local network of health-care providers is available around the clock for advice and support.

She said while telemedicine is known as a vital resource during medical emergencies, it also increases health professionals’ access to education.

The expanded technology will include distance learning opportunities such as classes on leadership development for medical professionals, educational programs for disease prevention and guidelines for chronic disease management.

John Walsh, Montana director of rural development, said the funding goes beyond Montana.

“These funds will be used to connect our rural communities with medical and educational experts from across the country, increasing access to health care, substance misuse treatment and advanced educational opportunities.” Walsh said. “Telemedicine is proving to be an effective tool for treating patients when experts otherwise would be unavailable.”