Hospitals and health agencies in Gainesville, Muenster, Bonham and Nocona are on the state's list of providers in line for federal rural health money, as the Texas Health and Human Services Commission works through applications for its new Rural Texas Strong program.
Gov. Greg Abbott announced Thursday that HHSC plans to award $78 million in the first round of grants to 216 rural health care providers. The $78,089,434.73 is part of the $281.3 million first-year award Texas received from the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and the state expects about $1.4 billion over five years, the governor's office said.
Who nearby is on the list
HHSC's recipient list, dated Oct. 8, shows applications that have reached "intent to award" status. The agency says a grant is not final until a contract is fully signed. Entries from nearby towns and counties include:
- Gainesville Community Hospital Inc.: $3,044,540 over the life of the grant, $1,115,519.46 in the first year, under the program's Make Rural Texans Healthy Again initiative, plus $375,500 under the small-town doctor initiative. Neither contract is marked as signed.
- Muenster: Muenster Hospital, $3.5 million total and $750,000 in year one for the healthy-again initiative, with a signed contract; Muenster Hospital District, $725,000 for the workforce initiative, not yet signed.
- Fannin County: $3.5 million total and $750,000 in year one, signed, for the healthy-again initiative; the Fannin County Hospital Authority, $724,999.21 for the workforce initiative, not yet signed; and DCS Medical PA in Bonham, $724,999.50, also not yet signed.
- Nocona Hospital: $3.5 million total and $750,000 in year one, signed.
What the money is for
According to the governor's office, the Make Rural Texans Healthy Again initiative helps rural hospital districts and local governments take on chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, chronic respiratory disease and obesity. The Next Generation of the Small Town Doctor and Team initiative pays to recruit, train and keep doctors, emergency medical workers and other health staff.
