USDA distributing grant monies to help expand access to healthcare in rural areas, including facilities in Burke, Winner, Mobridge, Walworth County

The US Department of Agriculture is distributing $129 million in Emergency Rural Health Care Grants to help 172 rural health care organizations expand critical services.

Among the recipients with locations in central South Dakota are the Burke Community Memorial Hospital Inc. ($275,000), Horizon Health Care Inc. ($36,000), Mobridge Regional Hospital ($1,000,000) and Walworth County Care Center Inc. ($44,000).

Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small says the investments will help regional partnerships, public bodies, nonprofits and Tribes solve regional rural health care challenges. She says these solutions will “build a stronger, more sustainable rural health care system for the nation’s small towns and communities.”

In total, the investments will expand health care services in 39 states and Puerto Rico. The state are: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Burke Community Memorial Hospital Inc., $275,000

This Rural Development investment will be used to purchase a computerized tomography (CT) scanner and furniture that can be cleaned to meet the COVID-19 cleaning standards. The current CT scanner is so old, parts have become obsolete. This is a vital piece of equipment when determining treatment of patients. The furniture purchased will replace current furniture with porous surfaces that cannot easily be sterilized throughout the clinic and hospital.

Mobridge Regional Hospital, $1,000,000

This Rural Development investment will be used to replace, update and improve technology used to treat, diagnose and mitigate the spread of COVID. Funds will be used to purchase numerous items including an ambulance, CT scanner, digital x-ray machine, and to staff monthly vaccine and booster clinics for the next three years. Mobridge Regional Hospital is one of eight Trauma Level 4 hospitals in the state, thus essential to South Dakota’s rural health care system.

Walworth County Care Center Inc., $44,000

This Rural Development investment will be used to expand Walworth County Care’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) unit. This project will also add a Global Plasma Solution Equipment filtration system to the Walworth County Care. This will improve their air quality and effectively mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases that are spread through air borne particles.

Horizon Health Care Inc., $36,000

This Rural Development investment will be used to update Horizon Health Care Inc.’s backup and cyber security equipment. This equipment will enhance the telehealth services as well as software licensing updates. They also will update their IT departments computers, as they work with all 23 counties and play a role in supporting the clinics with the telehealth services and the telehealth system. This project will benefit a large area of South Dakota, including underserved areas on Native American reservations.

A complete list of recipients is below.