Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services have secured a $13 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration for 51 rural hospitals in Michigan to support COVID-19 testing and mitigation.
Sturgis Hospital and Three Rivers Health are among the recipients.
Rural hospitals with fewer than 50 staff members will be able to use the funds for testing equipment, personnel, temporary structures or education. Mitigation strategies must be part of the CDC community mitigation framework, including education, contact-tracing, communication and outreach.
Each hospital will receive about $257,000, which must be used within 18 months of receipt.
Michigan Center for Rural Health, which serves as the Michigan State Office of Rural Health, will distribute funding to the hospitals.