Today, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) and U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Under Secretary Xochitl Torres Small visited Crisp Regional Hospital and toured its facilities. Under Secretary Torres Small announced a $1 million Emergency Rural Health Care Grants award to the hospital as part of a nationwide announcement of $74 million in program funds to 143 rural health care organizations.
As Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, Congressman Bishop was uniquely positioned to lead the effort in Congress to create the $500 million grant program. The Emergency Rural Health Care Grants program is meant to help rural health care providers, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as part of the American Rescue Plan Act which was signed into law in March 2021.
“Access to affordable health care that is close to home is a crucial quality of life issue for our rural communities,” said Congressman Bishop. “I have had many conversations with rural community leaders about the enormous strain they faced because of the COVID-19 pandemic — which hit us hard in Middle and Southwest Georgia. That is why I made sure the American Rescue Plan Act included emergency support for rural health care providers. Today, I am glad to see that these funds are coming home to Cordele and other rural communities facing similar needs.”
“Every American deserves access to high-quality and reliable health care services like urgent care and primary care, and President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Agriculture Secretary Vilsack know that people in rural communities deserve that access just as much as anyone,” said Under Secretary Torres Small. “Thanks to the leadership of Congressman Bishop, USDA has the resources to help rural community leaders afford to upgrade rural clinics, hospitals and health care organizations to advance the well-being of the millions of people living in small towns and communities like Cordele.”
“Rural community hospitals like Crisp Regional were crucial during COVID-19 and continue to be crucial health care access points for rural Georgians,” said Crisp Regional Health Services President and CEO, Steven L. Gautney, FACHE. “Crisp Regional experienced dramatically higher costs from the beginning of the pandemic as our hospital team struggled to care for the many that were impacted. While not fully replacing costs these grant funds help assure that the hospital will continue to operate and be accessible to the community.”
Crisp Regional Health Services oversees Crisp Regional Hospital along with a comprehensive network of health and social service facilities and rural health clinics in Cordele, Georgia, and its neighboring areas. The system provides hospital and outpatient care in over 20 specialties, such as family medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, and emergency medicine.
Original source can be found here.
