United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Acting State Director Molly Hammond today announced that USDA is investing $9,990,000.00 to construct community health facilities to benefit residences served by the Pinckneyville Community Hospital. This funding is part of a Community Facilities Direct Loan package to support health-care-related improvements and emergency response services that will benefit hundreds of rural residents in the community.
“USDA is playing a pivotal role to assist rural community healthcare facilities in these unprecedented times in Illinois,” Hammond said. “Our programs are in an excellent position to help those facing challenges caused by the pandemic and future healthcare infrastructure needs as well. We believe that rural residents should have access to the same state-of-the-art care available in urban and metropolitan areas. We understand that building a prosperous rural America begins with healthy people. Ensuring that rural communities have access to quality medical care is a top priority for Rural Development.”
Background:
USDA is investing in projects like this one through the Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program throughout the United States. This assistance will fund emergency response vehicles, nursing homes, and healthcare renovations, improving essential community services.
Below is the project announced in Illinois today:
- This Rural Development investment will construct a new 19,212 square foot rural health care clinic connected to the existing hospital; an emergency room renovation, including expansion of the imaging and registration areas; and an acute care renovation, including the addition of a new patient wing and growth of the existing therapy rehabilitation room, to adequately serve the present and future client base.
More than 100 types of projects are eligible for Community Facilities funding. Eligible applicants include municipalities, public bodies, nonprofit organizations and federally recognized Native American tribes. Projects must be in rural areas with a population of 20,000 or less.
Interested parties should contact their USDA Rural Development state office for information about additional funding, application procedures and eligibility details. Also see the Community Facilities Direct Loan Program Guidance Book for Applicants (PDF, 669 KB) for a detailed overview of the application process.
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. If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, ensuring access to healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate, smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.
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