Medina Memorial approved for $3,492,000 in emergency federal funding
Schumer, Gillibrand announce money for rural hospitals
MEDINA – Orleans Community Health, the parent organization of Medina Memorial Hospital, will receive $3,492,000 in federal funding to help in the fight against Covid-19, U.S. senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced today.
The money for Orleans Community Health is among $264 million in federal funds for rural hospitals, clinics and community health centers. The money was allocated by Health and Human Services to combat the coronavirus, Schumer and Gillibrand said.
“This funding is good news for our rural hospitals and health centers throughout Upstate New York that have been fighting to save lives and simultaneously struggling to make ends meet during the ongoing public health crisis,” Schumer said. “Our rural Upstate hospitals and providers have been New York’s heroes in the battle against Covid-19 and these critical dollars will help keep the fight against the virus going strong.”
Other nearby rural hospitals to receive funding include $5,064,000 for United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia, $4,228,000 for Wyoming County Community Health System in Warsaw, and $4,192,000 in Dansville.
“Even before this pandemic rural health care providers were struggling to stay afloat and it’s critical that they have immediate access to capital, grant, and loan programs as they combat Covid-19 in New York’s most affected areas,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Rural hospitals, clinics, and community health centers provide a wide-range of services to some of our most vulnerable populations and they ensure every community has access to quality health care, especially in times of public health emergencies.”
During the CARES Act negations, Schumer pushed the administration to provide this vital $10 billion for rural hospitals and health centers nationally as part of $175 billion Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund he championed and is in addition from the $1.4 billion from the PHSSEF he announced last week.
The Senator explained that with nearly 74,000 confirmed cases in Upstate New York, rural hospitals and healthcare systems are facing financial difficulty and need immediate federal assistance to avoid layoffs and furloughs of healthcare staff who are vital to maintaining the frontline against Covid-19.
“Hospitals across New York state are experiencing unprecedented financial strains as they work to battle the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Bea Grause, president of the Healthcare Association of New York State. “This week’s targeted funding is a lifeline for our rural hospitals. We are tremendously grateful to Senator Schumer and Senator Gillibrand for their continuous work to infuse critical funding into New York and ensure that our rural and hot spot hospitals across the state are not left behind as a result of this pandemic.”
