Nizhoni Smiles, a dental and orthodontist clinic on the Navajo Nation, received a $247,278 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture's Rural Development to upgrade its offices and expand services.

The clinic has offices in Shiprock, New Mexico, and St. Michaels, Arizona. The money will pay for a distance learning telemedicine program to deliver services to Navajo students.

"Every time you drive through the Navajo Nation, you're reminded of how far apart everything is," Terry Brunner, the state director of Rural Development for the USDA, told The Farmington Daily Times. "This is the type of thing that brings everything together. This makes the connection a little tighter."

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Shiprock clinic receives $250,000 grant to help revamp offices (The Farmington Daily Times 1/15)