WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins announced Tuesday that 12 Maine hospitals and schools will receive a combined $3,728,658 in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development program as part of the Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant Program.

In school settings, the funding will be used to employ Web-based and interactive video conferencing to strengthen academic achievement and provide professional development activities for students and educators.

The funding will be distributed as follows:

Greenville School Department $428,474;

SAD 59 in Madison $465,848;

SAD 21 in Dixfield $378,661;

SAD 48 in Newport $399,817;

Southern Aroostook CSD 9 in Dyer Brook $393,761;

SAD 54 in Skowhegan $486,410;

SAD 27 in Fort Kent $267,341.

In medical settings, the funding will be used to implement systems that use telemedicine technology to connect off-site care specialists to patients and hospitals.

The funding will be distributed as follows:

Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems in Brewer $148,519;

Maine General Medical Center in Augusta $211,476;

HealthReach HomeCare & Hospice in Waterville $176,570;

Penobscot Bay Medical Center in Rockport $183,003;

Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor $188,778.