Two Southeast Missouri Hospitals Participate in Federal Program Aimed at Improving Rural Health Care

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.), chairman of the Senate appropriations subcommittee that funds the Department of Health and Human Services, released the following statement today after the Iron County Hospital in Hayti, Mo., and Pemiscot County Memorial Hospital in Pilot Knob, Mo., were selected to participate in the Delta Region Community Health Systems Development (DRCHSD) program. The DRCHSD program, which is a collaborative effort between the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) and the Department of Health and Human Services Health Resource Services Administration (HRSA), provides resources to help rural hospitals improve and expand health care services.

“Rural hospitals are a lifeline for smaller communities, offering quality, affordable care for families close to home,” said Blunt. “This program will help ensure hospitals in Southeast Missouri have the support they need to expand and improve services for patients. I’ve been proud to back the Delta Regional Authority’s efforts, and will continue working to ensure DRA and the Department of Health and Human Services have the resources they need to continue the critical work they’re doing through the Delta Region Community Health Systems Development program.”

The DRCHSD program, which Blunt began as chairman, is designed to support selected hospitals and their communities located in the Delta Region with a comprehensive, long-term technical assistance approach.