Lacking State Funding, Rural Schools Struggle to Provide Remote Health Care
In rural school districts where doctors are hard to find, in-school telehealth services seemed like a good solution. Then New York state stopped funding them.
![A nurse stands at a computer in a school nurse's office](https://imgproxy.gridwork.co/n14TMHLJgZAtA0U9M3l5SXBTL-Ak_8rgA07TU_XqRSE/w:820/h:546/rt:fill/g:fp:0.5:0.5/q:90/f:jpg/el:1/aHR0cHM6Ly9zMy51cy1lYXN0LTIuYW1hem9uYXdzLmNvbS9ueXNmb2N1cy90ZWxlaGVhbHRoLW51cnNlLmpwZw.jpg)
“We were ready. Our principals were excited to provide this service to our kids.”
![A truck driving down a rural road through the woods. In the foreground, a yellow sign reads "SCHOOL BUS STOP AHEAD 500 FEET"](https://imgproxy.gridwork.co/MdVUVBnPNYHVoICsU7InxO-tEtj046SvlLGmU5rTts0/w:820/h:546/rt:fill/g:fp:0.5:0.5/q:90/el:1/aHR0cHM6Ly9zMy51cy1lYXN0LTIuYW1hem9uYXdzLmNvbS9ueXNmb2N1cy90ZWxlaGVhbHRoLXRydWNrLmpwZw.jpg)
“One of our main goals was to alleviate stress for parents.”
![](https://imgproxy.gridwork.co/S2qbW9afIpbI-uzolHKZXtPF1JZb1veu8z3EJ5PxMuU/w:135/h:190/rt:fill/g:fp:0.5:0.5/q:90/f:jpg/el:1/aHR0cHM6Ly9zMy51cy1lYXN0LTIuYW1hem9uYXdzLmNvbS9ueXNmb2N1cy9EU0NfMDU2NC5qcGc.jpg)
Before Kathy Hochul paused it, the tolling program lost the little labor support it had when the Transport Workers Union withdrew its backing this spring.
More counties are turning to private corporations to run medical care in jails. The companies have deadly track records.
Rebecca Lamorte was let go by her employer in June, prompting the Assembly Speaker to place an upset call to her boss.
Medicare Advantage plans are spreading across upstate New York, despite a reputation for denying care. In Cortland County, retirees kept it at bay.
Hochul’s proposed Medicaid cuts include $125 million from Health Homes, a program that connects the neediest New Yorkers with medical care, food assistance, and more.
Stark disparities in access to life-saving medication for opioid addiction persist between facilities — and racial groups.
The mayor and the police blamed “outside agitators” for campus protests. Student journalists reported what they saw.
When local authorities hand out subsidies, school budgets lose revenue. The state teachers union is now pushing back.
Long-term subs stay with the same classes and can serve like full-time teachers. New York City schools misclassify them — so their pay doesn’t reflect that.