Kentucky receives more than $4.4 million in grants to improve rural health care

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WYMT) - Kentucky received more than $4.4 million in federal funding to improve health care in rural communities.

Kentucky is one of 43 states and Guam to receive the funding.

“The COVID-19 pandemic had a tremendous impact on our rural health care providers,” USDA Rural Development Kentucky State Director Dr. Tom Carew said. “It also highlighted some vulnerabilities in our system, and the projects announced today will address those by better equipping health care facilities and helping to address nutrition and food insecurity. No matter where you live, the Biden-Harris administration is committed to making sure you have access to high-quality health care services.”

Several Eastern Kentucky organizations will receive part of the federal grant. You can find the full breakdown below:

• Memorial Hospital Inc. will receive $1 million to expand the intensive-care unit, reduce infection rates, improve testing times, improve patient safety, reduce transmission risks for immunocompromised patients and provide pulmonary services for people in seven Appalachian counties.
• Volunteers of America Mid-States Inc. will get $25,000 to launch and administer a COVID-19 vaccine campaign in Clay County.
• God’s Pantry Food Bank will use $585,000 to expand the food bank’s Mobile Pantry Program. This will increase food distribution in 16 rural counties in Central and Eastern Kentucky.
• ARH Tug Valley Health Services Inc. will receive $825,000 to upgrade cardiac monitoring equipment and initiate tele-intensive care unit services at Highland ARH Regional Medical Center in Prestonsburg.
• Baptist Health Corbin will get $1 million to buy equipment including a pulmonary function test body box, nuclear camera, laryngoscope, defibrillators and a centrifuge.

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