South Dakota Office of Rural Health has received the Notice of Award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) with the project period of April 1, 2020 – September 30, 2021. Each SD Small Rural Hospital Improvement Grant Program (SHIP) eligible hospital will receive $84,317. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) authorizes the recipients to incur pre-award costs prior to the effective date of the Federal award dating back to January 20, 2020. ​
The document provides COVID SHIP example uses of funding; please refer to this document for expenditures. While the FY 2020 Coronavirus SHIP funding will be awarded through SHIP, it is specifically for COVID-19 needs. Hospitals have flexibility to use the funding as the coronavirus and related community, patient, and organizational needs evolve. Among other uses, funds may be used to:
- Ensure patient and hospital personnel safety and otherwise minimize COVID-19 exposure.
- Address emergent COVID-19 issues, including testing and laboratory services, and patient and community education.
- Restore, sustain, and strengthen hospital capacity and staffing levels by reinstating and reassigning providers, hiring new providers or contractors, and/or increasing staff time to respond to coronavirus and continue hospital operations.
- Complete minor alteration and renovation activities to adapt and improve physical infrastructure to maximize isolation precautions, facilitate the use of telehealth, and reconfigure space as needed.
- Purchase equipment, including health information technology and telehealth equipment, vehicles, triage tents, and mobile medical units.
- Purchase supplies, including COVID-19 therapeutics and vaccines, when available.
​HRSA award recipients may not use grant funds for costs that are reimbursed or compensated by other federal or state programs that provide for such benefits, including but not limited to the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program, the $100 billion in the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund, or unemployment compensation.
