Special to the Times Vedette
U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development’s Iowa State Director Michael Sexton participated in a groundbreaking ceremony at the worksite for Guthrie County Hospital’s expansion and renovation on March 11. Last August, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the Department would lend the hospital $37 million through the Community Facilities Direct Loans and Guaranteed Loans program to help make the project possible.
“This critical project is going to have a direct and positive impact on the health and safety of Iowans in Guthrie County and surrounding counties,” Sexton said. “Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Rollins, USDA is making good on our commitment to infrastructure and support for healthcare in rural Iowa.”
The Community Facilities Direct Loans and Guaranteed Loans program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. The funding here will support:
- A 16,000-square-foot addition to include a behavioral health room in the ER, an MRI room, exam rooms and lab space
- Updates to the nurse call technology, new digital master and area alarm panels, and new sleep ventilators
- A fire suppression system for the ambulance garage
- Renovations to the dining hall and kitchen
USDA Rural Development has 11 offices across the state to serve the 1.3 million Iowans living in rural communities and areas. Office locations include a state office in Des Moines, along with area offices in Albia, Atlantic, Humboldt, Indianola, Iowa Falls, Le Mars, Mount Pleasant, Storm Lake, Tipton and Waverly. To learn more about investment resources for rural areas in Iowa, call 515-284-4663 or visit www.rd.usda.gov/ia.
Sheyrl Clark, Trustee; Doris Terwilliger, Trustee; Mike Underwood, Treasurer; Dana Tews, Secretary; Doug Kent, Vice Chair; Mary Jane Carothers, Trustee; Teresa Newman, UnityPoint Health Des Moines – Director of Rural Health Resources; Chris Stipe, Guthrie County Hospital CEO
Steve Smith, GCH Foundation Vice Chair; Kim Finnegan, GCH Foundation Board Chair; Shelby Lewis; Chris Stipe, Guthrie County Hospital CEO; and Dennis Flanery, GCH Foundation Director
Mary Anderson, Chief Human Resources Officer; Brandon Johnson, Chief Financial Officer; Travis Martin, Chief Operating Officer; Tina Nourse, Chief Clinic Administrator; and Chris Stipe, Chief Executive Officer
Mike Underwood, GCH Board of Trustee; Steve Smith, GCH Foundation; Michael Sexton, U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development’s Iowa State Director; Chris Stipe, Guthrie County Hospital CEO; and Dennis Flanery, GCH Foundation Director