Biden-Harris Administration and U.S. Department of Agriculture Build Original Program to Make stronger Rural Health Care Suppliers, Invests $43 Million

WASHINGTON, April 13, 2022 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack this day introduced the institution of a program below President Biden’s American Rescue Conception to assemble larger rural hospitals and suppliers’ accept entry to to COVID-19 vaccines, testing, and offers, whereas serving to rural smartly being care suppliers put financially solvent in the prolonged-interval of time. The preliminary awards of the Emergency Rural Health Care Grants total $43 million and can inspire 2.2 million other folks (PDF, 290 KB) who dwell and work in rural America. Awardees embrace 93 rural smartly being care organizations and neighborhood groups across 22 states.

This announcement is section of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Rural Infrastructure Tour, a multi-faceted outreach effort inspiring cupboard and sub-cupboard officers across federal agencies as they dawdle back and forth to and be taught from rural communities across the nation.

“Below the management of President Biden and Vice President Harris, USDA mobilized our workers and assets to answer in narrative time to toughen the prolonged-interval of time viability of rural smartly being care suppliers and services across this nation,” Vilsack stated. “USDA frail an all-fingers-on-deck advance to attain the Emergency Rural Health Care Grants program to deal with a differ of instantaneous smartly being care desires and services in rural communities. The American Rescue Conception Act and this program are examples of the authorities’s capability to answer like a flash to ensure every body and family has accept entry to to high-quality smartly being care no topic their zip code.”

The Biden-Harris Administration made these funds obtainable via its historical legislative bundle, the American Rescue Conception Act. Interior months after the Act’s passage, USDA spoke back like a flash by making this funding obtainable to ensure the prolonged-interval of time availability of rural smartly being care services. In total, this blueprint will dissipate to $475 million in grants equipped by President Biden’s American Rescue Conception to assemble larger rural hospitals and suppliers. Extra awards shall be introduced in the arrival months.

The grants USDA is awarding will inspire rural hospitals and smartly being care suppliers implement telehealth and vitamin aid packages, elevate staffing to administer COVID-19 vaccines and testing, assemble or renovate services and consume clinical offers.

Let’s train:

• In Minnesota, Appleton Location Health will use a $174,300 grant to upgrade telehealth and telemedicine capabilities and replace clinical institution equipment. Funds shall be frail to consume and install 28 flat panel television shows with cameras for sanatorium examination rooms and clinical institution affected person rooms. This project will moreover inspire to consume and install an air-con unit for the laboratory, four original clinical institution beds and 5 powered air-purifying respirators. This project will inspire extra than 1,400 other folks in the metropolis of Appleton and rural communities in Swift and Lac Qui Parle counties.
• In Kansas, the Atchison Hospital Association will use a $414,800 grant to reimburse the clinical institution for earnings lost in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This facility offers inpatient, outpatient, emergency care and doctor services to other folks in Atchison County and surrounding areas.
• In Pennsylvania, the Greater Pittston Ambulance Association will use a $226,900 grant to consume extra than 200 pieces of clinical equipment for emergency and ambulatory services. The equipment includes LIFEPAK shows, therapy cables and reusable blood rigidity cuffs.

The investments introduced this day will assemble larger smartly being care services in Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, Original Hampshire, Original Mexico, Original York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming.

USDA will disclose extra awardees for Emergency Rural Health Care Grants in the arrival weeks and months.

Background: Emergency Rural Health Care Grants

Congress handed the American Rescue Conception Act in March 2021 to raise instantaneous economic reduction to other folks impacted by the pandemic.

In August 2021, USDA made the Emergency Rural Health Care Grants obtainable via the American Rescue Conception to inspire rural smartly being care services, tribes and communities assemble larger accept entry to to smartly being care services and vitamin aid.

The inspire helps present instantaneous reduction to toughen rural hospitals, smartly being care clinics and native communities. USDA is administering the funds via Rural Increase’s Community Facilities Program.

Background: Rural Infrastructure Tour

Below the management of the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA and its federal companions in the Infrastructure Implementation Activity Drive are working with rural communities to follow it the promise of toughen for rural America.

The Rural Infrastructure Tour is a multi-faceted outreach effort inspiring cupboard and sub-cupboard officers across federal agencies as they dawdle back and forth to and be taught from rural communities across the nation. These visits will highlight original federal funding and investments already underway via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Rules, a as soon as-in-a-technology investment that will toughen rural communities and their infrastructure desires.

Below the Biden-Harris Administration, Rural Increase offers loans and grants to inspire assemble larger economic alternatives, achieve jobs and toughen the quality of life for hundreds and hundreds of People in rural areas. This aid supports infrastructure enhancements; commercial pattern; housing; neighborhood services equivalent to colleges, public security and smartly being care; and high-flow web accept entry to in rural, tribal and high-poverty areas. For extra files, visit www.rd.usda.gov. Will possess to you’d net to subscribe to USDA Rural Increase updates, visit the GovDelivery subscriber website.

USDA touches the lives of all People day to day in so many sure suggestions. Below the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is reworking America’s food arrangement with a elevated specialize in extra resilient native and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, guaranteeing accept entry to to safe, wholesome and nutritious food in all communities, constructing original markets and streams of profits for farmers and producers the use of climate-dapper food and forestry practices, making historical investments in infrastructure and smartly-organized energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by placing off systemic barriers and constructing a personnel extra consultant of America. To be taught extra, visit www.usda.gov.

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