August 15, 2022 – The USDA Rural Development Under Secretary Xochitl Torres Small announced that USDA is awarding $74 million in grants to improve health care facilities (PDF, 321 KB) in rural towns across the Nation. These grants will help 143 rural health care organizations expand critical services for 3 million people in 37 states, Guam and Puerto Rico. The investments include $32 million for 67 rural health care organizations to help more than 1 million people living in socially vulnerable communities.
The Biden-Harris Administration made these funds available in the Emergency Rural Health Care Grants Programs through its historic legislative package, the American Rescue Plan Act. The Act and this program are examples of the government’s ability to respond quickly to ensure every person and family has access to high-quality health care, regardless of their zip code.
USDA Rural Development promotes a healthy community and environment through the Emergency Rural Health Care Grants to make sure people, kids and families have access to the health care they need. The grants support the ability of rural communities to provide health care to the people and places in our country that often lack access.
The investments will help rural hospitals and health care providers implement telehealth and nutrition assistance programs, increase staffing to administer COVID-19 vaccines and testing, build or renovate facilities, and purchase medical supplies. They also will help regional partnerships, public bodies, nonprofits and Tribes solve regional rural health care problems and build a stronger, more sustainable rural health care system in response to the pandemic. For example:
In Georgia, Crisp Regional Hospital will use a $1 million grant to recover lost revenue caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The recovery of lost funds will allow the hospital to continue with critical services in rural Georgia.
In North Dakota, the Rolette County Public Health District will use a $155,000 grant to build a storage unit to house the district’s mobile health clinic. The mobile health clinic helps 14,000 Rolette County residents access health care, nutritional assistance and vaccines. The storage unit will protect the clinic from extreme weather conditions.
In Texas, the Big Bend Regional Hospital District will use a $5 million grant to partner with Preventative Care Health Services Inc., Terlingua Fire & EMS and the city of Presidio. The organizations will establish an after-hours clinic in Presidio and create a part-time primary care clinic in Terlingua. They also will develop a paramedicine program, implement a behavioral health care management program and launch a telemedicine program for residents in Presidio and Terlingua.
The investments announced today will expand health care services in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Guam and Puerto Rico.
USDA will announce additional awardees for Emergency Rural Health Care Grants in the coming weeks and months.