USDA Grant To Provide Rural Healthcare

Alongside policymakers and community members, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development office announced Monday the construction of a new health and wellness center for Danville in Boone County.

Boone Memorial Health will receive a $14.4 million loan to renovate a facility into a health and wellness clinic along with a direct grant.

Sen. Joe Manchin attended the announcement event and called the project “an amazing development.”

“We were able to do this because of the American rescue plan. We put $8.5 billion in there to help rural hospitals,” Manchin said. “And that’s what this is really about, and I was able to get a $3 million direct grant for this facility because it was in high need.”

Construction will take about two years. Once completed, the clinic will provide outpatient health care and wellness services to approximately 32,200 area residents.

Ryan Thorn is the state director of Rural Development for the USDA. He said the project has been under development for a number of years and will benefit all aspects of society in rural areas.

“A company is not going to look at an area unless there are adequate health services,” Thorn said. “This project is really a catalyst to not only ensure that folks have access to quality health care, but also it sets the stage as a spur or catalyst for other opportunities.”