CORDELE, Ga. (WTXL) — A hospital authority in Clinch County was awarded a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture Thursday.
The USDA announced Thursday that the Clinch Hospital Authority will receive a grant worth $498,200 to provide the Hospital Authority of Clinch County funds to allow Clinch Memorial Family Practice to operate six days a week to test, vaccinate treat and educate on the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Clinch Hospital Authority was one of multiple entities to receive a portion of a $4.5 million in grant funding specially allocated to healthcare in rural Georgia.
The USDA held a press conference in Cordele Thursday announcing the award.
“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,” USDA under secretary for rural development Xochit Torres Small said.
According to the news release, funding was made possible from the Emergency Rural Health Care Grants Programs via the American Rescue Plan Act.
Georgia Democratic Rep. Sanford Bishop (Ga.-02), who represents southwest and middle Georgia in the United States House of Representatives, attended the news conference announcing the award.
“Access to affordable health care that is close to home is a crucial quality of life issue for our rural communities,” Bishop said in a statement. “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. I am glad to see that these funds are coming home to Cordele and other rural communities facing similar needs.”
Bishop is the chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies.
