USDA https://www.usda.gov is investing $68 million to build or improve community facilities and essential services including healthcare for nearly 715,000 rural residents in 13 states and Puerto Rico. The agency is funding 20 projects through the Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program.
USDA’s Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. Eligible borrowers can include public bodies, community-based non-profit corporations, and Federally-recognized tribes.
Essential community facilities related to healthcare can include facilities such as hospitals, medical clinics, dental clinics, nursing homes, or assisted living facilities along with utility services such as telemedicine or distance learning equipment.
The project funding recently announced are in rural areas with a population of 20,000 or less in Alaska, Alabama, Arizona, California, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, South Dakota, and Texas.
Funding for several projects related to healthcare include:
- The city of Atka, Alaska will receive a $3 million loan to help build a new 3,850 square foot community health clinic. Atka is an isolated community on the Aleutian chain. The new facility will provide primary and preventative care, integrated behavioral health, dental, optometry, and emergency care
- The Sweeny Hospital District in Texas will receive for $36,000,000 to construct a replacement healthcare campus to improve outpatient and inpatient services.
- Redwood Community Services Inc. located in California will use funds for $2,998,500 to consolidate three service locations being used to provide administrative services, mental health, outpatient services, and foster/family adoption and placement services
- Funds for 764,000 will help the Valley Professional Community Health Center Inc. locate where Indians live in medically underserved areas. The Center will be increased to provide more space for behavioral health group therapy plus the Center will add 12 additional exam rooms to support three additional primary care physicians
https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/community-facilities-direct-loan-grant-program has more information on the “Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program”
Go to https://www.rd.usda.gov/files/USDARDCommFacilities.NRChart-05_08_19.pdf for the complete list of projects.