US congressman helps secure $750,000 for rural hospital’s radiology expansion
A U.S. congressman is touting his role in helping secure $750,000 in federal funding to fuel a rural hospital’s radiology expansion plans.
Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, announced the news on Wednesday, with the money going toward Madison Memorial Hospital in Rexburg. Simpson said such Community Project Funding was earmarked through the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill.
The 69-bed acute care hospital will use the funding to expand its diagnostic imaging and maternal-fetal medicine capabilities, seeking to better serve Madison County’s growing rural population.
“We are grateful to Congressman Simpson for his support of Madisonhealth and the patients we serve throughout eastern Idaho,” Rachel Gonzales, RN, CEO of the hospital system, which employs approximately 270 local providers, said in a statement June 10. “These funds will help strengthen emergency and surgical care, improve access to specialized services for high-risk obstetric patients, and ensure more patients can receive timely, high-quality healthcare close to home,” she added.
With the money, Madison Hospital plans to purchase “critical” diagnostic imaging equipment including a CT scanner, C-arm imaging machine and two advanced ultrasound systems. Federal dollars also will fund the construction necessary to support these services, the congressman noted, with the measure now approved by the House Appropriations Committee.
“Throughout my time in Congress, I have remained committed to supporting rural healthcare in Idaho,” Simpson—who has been in the House of Representatives since 1999 and is up for reelection in November—said in a statement. “As the primary healthcare provider for Madison County and the Upper Valley Region, it is essential to invest in and upgrade the equipment at Madison Memorial Hospital to help expand its radiology department. This investment is critical for patients in our communities, and I’m proud to advocate for this federal funding.”
Rep. Simpson had previously requested $3.285 million in funding for the hospital, according to a letter sent to House Committee on Appropriations leaders in March.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.