Congressman Dave Loebsack announced recently the University of Iowa received a nearly $500,000 dollar grant from the USDA’s Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant Program.

The funds will be used to provide telemedicine videoconferencing services for locations in several rural Iowa counties, including Marion County. Adult, pediatric, and geriatric healthcare will be provided in these areas as a result of the funding.

Loebsack is pleased the University of Iowa has been given the funding and says residents in rural communities should have access to the same medical care as residents in larger communities.