U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced on April 15 that rural communities in 32 states will benefit from loans and grants provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The funds will be used for construction and renovations of healthcare facilities, public safety buildings and community centers. So far, around 20 healthcare facilities have been granted funds from this act.
The $193 million in Recovery Act projects are funded through USDA Rural Development’s Community Facilities Program and will be matched with $68.5 million from other sources. Funding of each loan and grant is contingent upon the recipient meeting the conditions of the agreement.
Through this program, USDA ensures that such facilities are available to all rural residents. These funds are available to public bodies, nonprofit organizations and federally-recognized Indian tribes. A complete list of loan and grant recipients is at www.rurdev.usda.gov.
Loan recipients include:
Arizona
* Pinal Hispanic Council, Inc.: $1,617,000 loan. The funding will be used to construct a new 8,200-square-foot behavioral health facility.
* Marana Health Center: $9,933,486 loan. The funding will be used to construct a three-story, 74,656-square-foot health center.
California
* Mendocino Coast Clinics: $91,840 grant. The funding will be used to provide equipment for electronic health records.
Connecticut
* Generations Family Health Center, Inc.: $7,000,000 loan. The funding will be used to construct a healthcare facility.
Indiana
* Hope Family Health Center: $368,000 loan and $100,000 grant. The funding will be used for building construction and equipment.
Iowa
* Belmond Medical Center: $21,600,000 loan. The funding will be used to renovate a hospital facility.
* Woodbine Community Betterment and Development Corporation: $945,000 loan and $199,500 grant. The funding will be used to construct a new medical clinic.
Kansas
* Heart of Kansas Family Heath Care, Inc.: $560,105 loan. The funding will be used to construct a 6,000-square-foot addition and renovate a medical clinic.
Kentucky
* Appalachian Regional Health Care, Inc.: $13,932,000 loan. The funding will be used to construct a 15,000-square-foot addition to the Whitesburg ARH Hospital.
* Kentucky Mountain Health Alliance, Inc.; $345,375 loan and $200,000 grant. The funding will be used to purchase and renovate a new building for the Little Flower Clinic, which provides primary and preventive care, mental health and substance abuse services for low-income and homeless families.
Maryland
* Easter Seals Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Inc.: $115,000 grant. The funding will be used for site work and structural costs for a new health center.
Minnesota
* First Care Medical Services: $6,000,000 loan. The funding will be used to expand an existing facility to link their hospital and clinic.
Missouri
* Scotland County Memorial Hospital District: $8,294,000 loan and $500,000 grant. The funding will be used to expand a hospital.
Nebraska
* Rock County Hospital: $29,530 grant. The funding will be used to purchase Electronic Health Record System equipment.
North Carolina
* Beaufort County: $4,400,000 loan and $100,000 grant. The funding will be used to construct a new health and nursing building on the existing campus of the community college in order to expand health program curriculums.
Rhode Island
* Northwest Community Health Care: $1,000,000 loan. The funding will be used to expand the current medical facility.
South Dakota
* Faulkton Area Medical Center: $1,100,000 loan. The funding will be used to expand a medical facility.
Tennessee
* Community Health of East Tennessee: $3,273,000 loan and $100,000 grant. The funding will be used to construct a health center.
Texas
* Hutchinson County Hospital District: $18,600,000 loan. The funding will be used to construct a critical access hospital.
