Baptist Health Corbin awarded $1 million in Rural Development funds

The Times-Tribune, Corbin, Ky.
·1 min read

Oct. 18—CORBIN — Baptist Health Corbin has been awarded a $1 million grant to improve its emergency department.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Kentucky State Director Dr. Tom Carew last week announced over $4.4 million in grants to improve health care in rural Kentucky.

Baptist Health Corbin will use a $1 million grant to purchase equipment including a pulmonary function test body box, nuclear camera, laryngoscope, defibrillators, and a centrifuge, all of which will improve the emergency department's capacity to diagnose and treat residents in Bell, Clay, Harlan, Knox, Laurel, McCreary and Whitley counties in Kentucky and Campbell County in Tennessee.

Kentucky is one of 43 states and Guam, where a total of $110 million is being invested to broaden health care access.

"The COVID-19 pandemic had a tremendous impact on our rural health care providers," Carew said. "It also highlighted some vulnerabilities in our system, and the projects announced today will address those by better equipping health care facilities and helping to address nutrition and food insecurity."

In August 2021, USDA made the Emergency Rural Health Care Grants available through the American Rescue Plan Act to help rural health care facilities, tribes and communities expand access to health care services and nutrition assistance.

The assistance helps provide immediate relief to support rural hospitals, health care clinics and local communities. The funds are administered through Rural Development's Community Facilities Program.

For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.