Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02), Chairman of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, announced that the Biden Administration has made available up to $500 million in grants for two emergency rural healthcare assistance programs, Recovery Grants and Impact Grants, in response to COVID-19. The Congressman led the effort to include the programs as part of the American Rescue Plan Act which was signed into law earlier this year. The grants are available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
“The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and surging Delta variant are straining our frontline healthcare workers, filling hospital beds across the country, and leading to increased deaths. Expanding rural healthcare access was my top priority for the American Rescue Plan Act because our rural and local communities were most vulnerable to developing serious COVID-19 infections. This funding will help rural America to get the vaccines, testing, and medical supplies they need as well as improve telehealth programs to reach more of our families, friends, and neighbors,” said Congressman Bishop.
“I am pleased that these grants can help our communities develop strategies for long-standing sustainability within rural healthcare systems. COVID-19 is a hard reminder about physician and nursing shortages, transportation issues, and the need for community-oriented health initiatives to address underlying risks for diseases. Now, these programs are available to communities across the country, and I urge local leaders to learn more about how these programs can help,” he added.
The Recovery Grant and Impact Grant programs may be used to increase COVID-19 vaccine distribution and telehealth capabilities; purchase medical supplies; replace revenue lost during the pandemic; build and rehabilitate temporary or permanent structures for health care services; support staffing needs for vaccine administration and testing; and support facility and operations expenses associated with food banks and food distribution facilities.
You can learn more about these grant programs by visiting the USDA’s Emergency Rural Health Care Grants web page, https://www.rd.usda.gov/erhc.
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