Union’s NextGen Telehealth Education Project funded by the USDA

Rachel Dorroh • April 23, 2024

Union Commonwealth University has received a three-year Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) matching grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help address the healthcare worker shortage in Kentucky. The grant will fund Union’s NextGen Telehealth Education Project, which is designed to increase educational access and train nurses and mental health professionals. A long list of new equipment and technology upgrades for both the Edna Jenkins Mann School of Nursing and Union’s psychology program is included.

Professor Amanda Hensley working with telesimulation technology including a laptop, monitor, and headset.

“Everything we asked for, we pretty much got. It’s the dream list,” says Dr. Lisa Abner, Dean of Nursing at Union Commonwealth University. “This is really exciting!”

Network upgrades for the Ramsey Center for Health and Natural Science, new video conferencing equipment, telemedicine carts for three partner clinical sites, additional simulation mannequins, another virtual cadaver table, and more laptops will soon be purchased to build Union’s distance learning, telesimulation, and telehealth capacity.

“By facilitating distance learning, the grant provides a great opportunity for Union to enhance its technology to better serve the needs of our students and local healthcare providers,” says Union’s Director of Information Technology, Eric Evans.

Telesimulation technology, an emerging educational method combining telecommunication and advanced simulation resources, will enable the nursing program to serve their students more effectively. Additionally, through partnerships with three hub sites - Baptist Health, Barbourville ARH, and the Knox County Health Department - practicing nurses will have access to continuing education opportunities from their workplaces, including Union’s RN-to-BSN program. Telesimulation provides a platform to replicate a broad spectrum of clinical scenarios, including those typically not available in traditional clinical settings, such as pediatrics.

“Through telesimulation, learners can engage in real-time interactions with instructors, standardized patients, or simulation mannequins via videoconferencing tools,” says Abner. “While it doesn't replace clinical experience, telesimulation is an effective platform for teaching, training, and assessing competency. It allows students to learn life-saving skills and techniques in a safe, controlled environment.”

In addition to the enhancements made within the nursing program, new technology in the counseling center will enhance Union’s capacity to better train mental health providers. Simultaneously, this will provide students, faculty, and staff with remote access to Union’s counseling services, which will especially benefit online students and those in rural locations.

“With mental health, every step we can take to build a larger support system for the student, the greater the likelihood of success with each student's mental health program,” says Psychology Professor Dr. Ilie Vasilescu.

The DLT grant program is a project of USDA Rural Development (USDA RD) and is designed to help rural communities use advanced telecommunications technology to improve education and healthcare. According to USDA RD, education and healthcare are “two of the most crucial keys to successful rural economic and community development.” To learn more about USDA RD, see www.rd.usda.gov.

Rural Development (usda.gov)

For questions about the NextGen TeleHealth Education Project, contact Dr. Lisa Abner at labner@unionky.edu or Eric Evans at eevans@unionky.edu. To learn more about the Edna Jenkins Mann School of Nursing, see Edna Jenkins Mann School of Nursing – Union College (unionky.edu).

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