AUGUSTA – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is awarding a $325,000 grant to an Augusta firm to improve telehealth services in Maine.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins and independent Sen. Angus King say the money will go to Northeast Telehealth Resource Center.

They say the firm provides technical assistance and education to local health care providers in New England. It also works to improve telehealth opportunities for rural residents.

Collins and King say telehealth can be a “critical lifeline” for people who live in rural Maine. They say it can help residents connect with health services and make health care more accessible.