/>iU.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Montana State Director Kathleen Williams today announced that USDA is awarding grants to two organizations to expand health care resources in rural Montana.
“USDA Rural Development takes a broad view of what’s necessary to help Montanans be healthy – from quality, accessible health care facilities, to addressing areas that don’t have access to healthy food,” Williams said. “These two projects illustrate this important spectrum, and our commitment to fostering a full scope of health resources in Montana.”
The Biden-Harris Administration is making this Emergency Rural Health Care Grant Program funding available through its historic legislative package, the American Rescue Plan Act. The Act and this program are examples of the government’s ability to respond quickly to ensure every person and family has access to high-quality health care no matter their zip code.
Chippewa Cree Tribe will use a $164,000 grant to purchase a refrigerated truck and support mobile food delivery services for the Rocky Boy Reservation food bank in northcentral Montana. The food bank serves Hill County and 3,323 residents in this designated food desert area.
Prairie County Hospital District will use a $115,000 grant to continue its project to grow and improve the function of its emergency department. Prairie County Hospital is a county-owned Critical Access Hospital that provides clinical and emergency services for a large geographic area in rural Montana.
Today’s investments are included in a national USDA announcement totaling $110 million in grants awarded to improve rural health care for people nationwide. The investments will help build, renovate and equip health care facilities like hospitals and clinics in rural areas.
The investments will be used for projects such as those to 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. They will also help regional partnerships, public bodies, nonprofits and Tribes solve regional rural health care problems, which will help build a stronger, more sustainable rural health care system in response to the pandemic.
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/mt. If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit the GovDelivery subscriber page.
see the original press release from the USDA BOZEMAN, Mont., Oct. 14, 2022
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, 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.
