The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded some $600,000 in grants for two Nevada projects designed to improve broadband access in 15 rural counties. 

Northern Nevada Business View reports that the primary focus of the grants is the expansion of telemedicine. 

The larger of the two grants funds a project developed by the Governor's Office of Science, Information and Technology in cooperation with Renown Health.

The project, the Telehealth and Healthcare Education Expansion project, will expand healthcare services to 11 sites in eight Nevada rural counties. 

The smaller grant is an award to the Valley Health project to provide three years of tele-health services to prison patients at seven rural Department of Corrections conservation camps.