$308,933 Awarded to Area MHMR Center

Representative Ron Clark announced that the Mental Health and Mental Retardation (MHMR) Services of Texoma received $308,933 in grant funds from the Texas Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund (TIF) Board for public, not-for-profit healthcare collaboratives. The MHMR Services of Texoma provides service to clients in Grayson and Fannin Counties. The TIF grant was a highly competitive grant which will allow the health care facilities to use telemedicine to transcend travel boundaries and time to diagnose patients, educate patients, teach other physicians at a distance, and share information among sites. “In 1995, the Texas Legislature created this funding source to provide grant funds for technology for schools, libraries, higher education institutions, and public, not-for-profit health care facilities,” said Representative Clark. “These grant funds have the potential to make a difference in the way medicine is practiced, increasing both the access to and the delivery of health care services throughout the state into even the remotest areas. I am pleased that Texoma MHMR had the dedication and foresight to apply for and receive this competitive grant.” Since its creation by the 74th Legislature, TIF has awarded more than $1.8 billion in grants to four groups - public schools, libraries, institutions of higher education, and public, not-for-profit healthcare facilities. TIF is set to expire in 2005.