Small, rural hospitals in Kansas are expanding their facilities and upgrading their technology with help from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Yesterday (TUE), the USDA's Rural Development office in Topeka announced that it had provided a low-interest loan of $240,000 to the Ellinwood District Hospital to replace its heating and air conditioning system. In March, the agency provided more than $17 million to fund an expansion of the hospital in Onaga in northeast Kansas. USDA's Janette Womack helps oversee the Community Facilities loan program. She says it’s designed to give organizations that provide a public service access to low-cost capital.
The USDA’s Rural Development Office in Kansas has provided more than $90 million in loans and grants for health care projects since 2009.