MGH Gets Federal Funding

Sen. Schatz News Release

Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz announced that 10 small rural hospitals in Hawaii – those with fewer than 50 beds and Critical Access Hospitals – will receive $2,583,760 in new federal funding from the American Rescue Plan. Molokai General Hospital is among those that will receive the funds. This funding will help these hospitals expand COVID-19 testing for people living in rural communities and tailor mitigation efforts to meet local needs – such as community education and workforce expenses.

“Families in rural areas across Hawaii rely on local hospitals to get the health care they need in their own communities,” said Sen. Schatz, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “This new federal funding will support rural hospitals on the frontlines of the pandemic and help more people access COVID-19 testing and other resources close to home to keep themselves, their families, and their communities healthy.”

The new federal funding is provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP).