U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Kentucky State Director Dr. Tom Carew today announced the department invested $999,000 to improve health care in Clinton, Kentucky.
Kentucky is one of 37 states, Guam and Puerto Rico, where almost $74 million is being invested to broaden health care access.
“Everyone in Kentucky, regardless of where they live, deserve to have access to quality health care services,” said Carew. “COVID-19 had a particularly large impact on the elderly, and this investment in Clinton, as well as those to come in other areas of Kentucky, will help keep some of our most vulnerable safer and healthier.”
Clinton and Hickman County Hospital Inc. will use a $999,000 Emergency Rural Health Care Grant to construct a 56-bed nursing facility in Clinton. The new location will allow for the approximately 46,800-square-foot facility to house an administrative wing, two nurses stations, a nutrition station, an inpatient/outpatient physical therapy room, fully equipped kitchen, a large interior great room, two exterior garden courtyards, and all of the auxiliary space necessary for parking.
The investments announced today 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.
Background: Emergency Rural Health Care Grants
Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in March 2021 to deliver immediate economic relief to people impacted by the pandemic. Within months after the act’s passage, USDA responded by making this funding available to ensure the long-term availability of rural health care services.
In August 2021, USDA made the Emergency Rural Health Care Grants available through the American Rescue Plan Act to help rural health care facilities, tribes and communities expand access to health care services and nutrition assistance.
The assistance is helping provide immediate relief to support rural hospitals, health care clinics and local communities. USDA is administering the funds through Rural Development’s Community Facilities Program.
Under the Biden-Harris administration, Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, tribal and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.