On June 30, 2016, the United States Department of Agriculture ("USDA") announced five Distance Learning and Telemedicine ("DLT") grant awards for the treatment of opioid addiction in rural central Appalachia. The project grants were awarded to organizations providing drug abuse treatment and focused on states with high opioid use, with $1.4 million awarded for projects in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. The projects, a result of President Obama's call for the USDA to focus on rural opioid use, will provide treatment for medical conditions and mental health and drug addiction treatment. The hope is that through telemedicine, addiction treatment will be able to reach rural America.
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