The Trump Administration today announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $300,000 in a Rural Economic Development Grant to Dakota Energy Cooperative, Inc. to lend these funds to the Huron Regional Medical Center (HRMC) to purchase fluoroscopic equipment that will replace aging equipment.
“This equipment will be beneficial for both diagnosis and therapy of patients. Today’s award is important to the Huron Regional Medical Center in providing quality diagnostic and interventional health care close to home,” said USDA Rural Development South Dakota State Director Julie Gross. “Under the leadership of President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Perdue, USDA continues to be a strong partner with rural communities, because we know that when rural America thrives, all of America thrives.”
Fluoroscopy is an imaging technique that uses x-rays to obtain real-time moving images of the interior of an object. The equipment allows a physician to see the internal structure and function of a patient. Think of fluoroscopy as live-action video X-Ray that allows the physician to view the cardiovascular, digestive, reproductive, respiratory, skeletal and urinary systems in real time. The new state-of-the-art unit from GE, which replaces a machine which was more than 20 years old, is one of only a couple dozen in hospitals in the country.
Huron Regional Medical Center is a not-for-profit organization that provides a range of services through a 25-bed critical access hospital and a range of outpatient health and wellness services. Huron Regional Medical Center is in eastern South Dakota in the community of Huron which is nestled along the James River. The community of Huron has a population of 12,600 residents.
The federal funding was leveraged with Huron Regional Medical Center’s cash contribution of $125,871 for a total project cost of $425,871. This project will help save 179 full-time and 158 part-time jobs. The Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant programs provide financing to eligible RUS electric or telecommunications borrowers to promote rural economic development and job creation projects.
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov/sd or call (605) 352-1142.
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