Nearly $70 million of Recovery awards from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have helped build one hospital and funded needed renovations at four others in rural Nebraska, with populations of 20,000 or less.
The awards, a mix of Recovery loans and grants, augmented a USDA Rural Development program that has been funding critical access hospitals in rural areas since 2006. The five hospitals bring the program’s overall total for Nebraska to 18 that have received federal assistance.
The Recovery funded facilities are:
- Memorial Community Health, Inc., in Aurora; an $18.3 million loan and grant combination for additions and renovations,
- Community Hospital, in McCook; $32 million loan for an addition and renovations,
- Providence Medical Center, in Wayne; a $6 million loan for an addition and renovations,
- Fillmore County Hospital, in Geneva; $12.6 million loan to build a new hospital,
- Rock County Hospital, in Bassett; $76,830 grant for electronic medical records and generator equipment.
USDA Rural Development officials say that, in addition to improving health care for residents, the hospitals help recruit physicians, nurses, and support staff to their respective regions.
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