Oregon will receive
$801,300 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Emergency Rural Health
Care Grant program to support organizations and facilities across Oregon
provide vital emergency rural health care and food assistance to rural
communities.
The USDA Emergency
Rural Health Care program provides up to $500 million in grant funding to help
broaden access to COVID-19 testing and vaccines, rural health care services,
and food assistance through food banks and food distribution facilities.
The federal funding
will go to:
Columbia Memorial Hospital Astoria
$113,000 to upgrade
the hospital’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and
create a new cold storage to increase vaccine storage capabilities.
Florence Food Share
$48,600 to help fund
increased staffing costs related to the COVID pandemic.
Brookings Harbor Community Helpers
$250,200 to support
increased staffing including the hiring of a bilingual interpreter and advocate
to bridge the gap with the Hispanic community.
Grande Ronde Hospital
$88,200 to ensure
they have the needed funds to purchase hospital equipment and enhance its
capabilities to respond to COVID-19 by providing enhanced medical services.
Harney District Hospital
$273,400 to purchase
and install a laboratory chemistry analyzer and medication dispensing system to
improve the hospital’s ability to provide quick, reliable testing to detect
medical conditions related to the long-term effects of COVID-19.
Harney County Senior and Community Services Center (HCSC)
$27,900 to purchase
a refrigerated food truck, a commercial freezer, and transportable coolers for
their food pantry.
“These grants
awarded to Oregon will help provide crucial support in ensuring Oregon’s rural
families have access to the health care and food on the table they need to
thrive,” Oregon U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley said. “These funds from
USDA will help ensure rural Oregon communities get the resources they need to
stay healthy.”
“These funds to
strengthen health care and fight hunger are lifelines for rural Oregonians
counting on local hospitals and organizations in their communities for
help,” Oregon U. DS. Senator Ron Wyden said. “I’m glad these federal
grants are heading to our state, and I’ll keep battling for similar federal
investments that bolster rural quality of life throughout Oregon.”
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