United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director for Missouri Jeff Case today announced that USDA is investing over $1.2 million to improve rural health care in Grundy County.
This Rural Development investment will be used to install a heating and cooling system and energy-efficient windows at the Grundy County Nursing Home. This new system will significantly reduce utility costs and will allow residents to control heating and cooling on an individual basis. The Grundy County Nursing Home provides nursing and assisted- living care to Grundy County's 10,261 residents.
“People who live and work in rural areas deserve the same basic quality of life and access to quality health care facilities as their counterparts who live in urban areas,” said Case. “Today I commend the Grundy County Nursing Home District for investing in a new HVAC system for their facility. USDA Rural Development is excited for the positive impact these improvements will have for residents of the nursing home.”
Case made today’s announcement in coordination with a nationwide announcement from Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett who announced that USDA is investing $501 million in 60 projects to help improve health care infrastructure and services in rural communities nationwide through the Community Facilities direct loan program. These investments will expand access to health care for approximately 2 million people in 34 states.
“Creating strong and healthy communities is foundational to increasing prosperity in rural America,” Hazlett said. “Under the leadership of Secretary Sonny Perdue, USDA is committed to partnering with rural leaders to improve quality of life and economic development through modern and accessible health care.”
Today’s announcement comes as part of USDA’s commemoration of National Rural Health Day, which is held annually on the third Thursday of November to focus on the specific health care issues facing rural communities. Hazlett’s funding announcement complements the finalization of a partnership between USDA and the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) to identify issues causing financial strain on rural hospitals, which are an important part of the rural health care system. NRHA and the Department will work together to identify management and financial indicators that impact rural hospital operations. This technical assistance will help rural hospitals continue to operate and provide critical health care services to serve rural communities.
In April 2017, President Donald J. Trump established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to identify legislative, regulatory and policy changes that could promote agriculture and prosperity in rural communities. In January 2018, Secretary Perdue presented the Task Force’s findings to President Trump. These findings included 31 recommendations to align the federal government with state, local and tribal governments to take advantage of opportunities that exist in rural America. Increasing investments in rural infrastructure is a key recommendation of the task force.
To view the report in its entirety, please view the Report to the President of the United States from the Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity (PDF, 5.4 MB). In addition, to view the categories of the recommendations, please view the Rural Prosperity infographic (PDF, 190 KB).
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.
Contact USDA Rural Development
Information on programs available through USDA Rural Development is available by visiting www.rd.usda.gov/mo or by calling (573) 876-0976.
USDA Rural Development has 24 offices across the state to serve the 2.2 million residents living in rural Missouri. Office locations include a State Office in Columbia, along with local offices in Butler, Charleston, Chillicothe, Clinton, Dexter, Eldon, Farmington, Higginsville, Houston, Kennett, Kirksville, Maryville, Mexico, Moberly, Neosho, New London, Poplar Bluff, Richmond, Rolla, Sedalia, Springfield, St. Joseph, Troy, and West Plains.