U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack is expected to meet Wednesday with Greenwood government and hospital officials as part of his tour of the Mississippi Delta.
Vilsack, accompanied by U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson and White House Domestic Policy Advisor Susan Rice, is scheduled to arrive at Greenwood Leflore Hospital at noon.
Vilsack, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will be announcing the awarding of a $1 million grant to the hospital, which has been dealing with revenue losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the first six months of the current budget year, the hospital is showing a loss of $3.9 million, even after using more than $8.1 million in coronavirus relief money, mostly provided by Congress.
The new grant is part of nearly $3 million in Emergency Rural Health Care Grants being announced today to help rural health care organizations expand critical services in Mississippi.
Additional grant awardees include:
- Delta Health Alliance Inc., nearly $1 million to create a COVID-19 rapid testing, education and training center at Leland Medical Clinic. The Leland clinic provides free vaccinations supported through other funding sources, but the USDA grant will expand access to these services.
- Delta Health Center Inc. of Mound Bayou, a $1 million grant to expand vaccine distribution efforts and increase the health clinic’s capacity for telehealth.
Today’s announcement is part of the Biden administration’s Building a Better America Rural Infrastructure Tour, during which administration officials are traveling to dozens of rural communities to talk about the impact of the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill enacted late last year as well as the president’s “broader commitment to ensure federal resources reach all communities in rural America,” the release said.
“Under the leadership of President Biden and Vice President Harris, USDA mobilized our staff and resources to respond in record time to improve the long-term viability of rural health care providers and services across this nation,” Vilsack said in remarks released in advance of his stop in Greenwood. “USDA used an all-hands-on-deck approach to create the Emergency Rural Health Care Grants program to address a variety of immediate health care needs and services in rural communities. The American Rescue Plan 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.”
- Contact Tim Kalich at 662-581-7243 or tkalich@gwcommonwealth.com
