GRAND FORKS - Six grants have been awarded to facilities that work to improve health care delivery in rural communities.

Nearly $350,000 was awarded through the Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota's Rural Health Grant Program, which is administered by the Center for Rural Health at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

The grants went to:

3 Southwest Healthcare Services of Bowman will use the grant to improve the quality of care for their patients by implementing an electronic medical records system into their organization.

3 Garrison Memorial Hospital of Garrison will use the grant to implement a computerized radiography system that coordinates with St. Alexius Medical Center's Picture Archiving and Communications System in Bismarck.

3 West River Health Services of Hettinger will use the grant to focus on access to, and timely transmission of health information of home bound individuals through the use of telehealth technology.

3 Cavalier County Memorial Hospital of Langdon will use the grant to address delivery of accessible and qualitative radiology service by implementing a Picture Archiving and Communications System.

3 First Care Health Center of Park River will use the grant to purchase computed radiography equipment that will optimize patient care, reduce exam times, lower healthcare costs, and boost productivity with rapid image availability.

3 Presentation Medical Center of Rolla will use the grant to to continue their collaborative work with St. Andrew's Health Center in Bottineau to further develop electronic medical records through Computerized Physician Order Entry in each organization.