Cando medical center receives $1 million USDA Rural Development grant for building project

Aug. 5—CANDO, North Dakota — Towner County Medical Center has received $1 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to purchase equipment for a 76,000-square-foot facility under construction here.

The Emergency Rural Health Care grant, administered by USDA Rural Development, will be used in the construction of the new medical center, which will include a 10-bed acute care hospital, a 30-bed long-term care facility, and a five-bed basic care unit. The center will also feature a clinic, emergency department, and surgical suite.

The nearly $55.5 million replacement project, which was launched with a groundbreaking ceremony in September, is expected to be completed in 2024.

Towner County Medical Center is "building an entirely new facility," said Erin Oban, state director for USDA Rural Development. "With the whole project, it's going to be part Critical Access Hospital, part nursing home facility."

Towner County Medical Center is designated by the federal government as one of the country's "critical access hospitals" that play an essential role in the delivery of health care services in rural areas.

The recent $1 million grant from USDA Rural Development could be used to purchase equipment such as technology for diagnostic imaging, ultrasound, mammography and x-ray, Oban said.

The hospital design includes public and administrative support spaces, dietary services, infrastructure support, primary and specialty clinic spaces, acute care, procedural suites, emergency, x-ray, laboratory, physical therapy, and spaces for scanning, ultrasound and electrocardiogram procedures, according to the grant announcement from Oban's office.

This state-of-the-art, consolidated-facilities project will provide modern, code-compliant, and inpatient and outpatient care areas.

The total amount from USDA Rural Development for this project is $55,470,000, said Christopher Freeman, public affairs specialist with USDA Rural Development North Dakota. These funds consist of a combination of a guaranteed loan from a private lender for $10,894,000; other loans totalling $43,576,000; and the ERHC $1 million grant.

"While the guarantee amount still comes from the bank, that is the part we essentially insure," Freeman said.

During the groundbreaking ceremony last fall, Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., praised the Cando community for its investment in the project, which, he said, will not only improve timely access to health care services and enhance the quality of life for area residents, but also contribute to the overall standard of living, because the facility will provide high-paying jobs.

USDA Rural Development has funded construction projects at a number of rural health care facilities throughout the state, including "either complete rebuilds or remodels in the last fiscal year," Oban said. "We're really happy to be a partner to make sure that health care remains accessible and of high quality for people in those rural areas."

Towner County Medical Center provides primary care, chiropractic care, a full range of preventive services, and 24-hour emergency room care.

Completion of the new medical center will mean "dramatic improvements to inpatient care, emergency department, and diagnostic imaging space," according to a news release from Oban's office. "Upgrades will also occur across multiple patient care and support areas, including physical therapy, laboratory and ambulatory surgery. Infection control improvements, such as proper space isolation and ventilation, will be made throughout the facilities."

Funds for the Emergency Rural Health Care grant program were made available through the American Rescue Plan Act, passed by Congress in 2021 to deliver economic relief to people impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ERHC grants are intended to help rural health care facilities, tribes and communities expand access to health care services and nutrition assistance.