Three Central Oregon hospitals to get $8.38 million in pandemic relief funds
St. Charles Redmond, Prineville and Madras among 20 statewide
SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Small rural Oregon hospitals have help on the way, with $50 million in grant funding coming from Business Oregon. A total of 20 rural hospitals, including three in Central Oregon, are receiving funds to help keep nurses and doctors employed amid rising costs and falling revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Oregon Legislature and Gov. Kate Brown allocated the money to Business Oregon from the federal CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund.
“Getting this money into these community facilities will be a significant lifeline,” said Business Oregon Director Chris Cummings. “Smaller hospitals outside of urban areas have greater challenges covering fixed costs in the face of lost revenue from elective procedures, less economies of scale, and increased costs of PPE and other equipment necessary during this pandemic.”
Grants can only be used to cover necessary expenditures incurred due to the COVID-19 public health emergency from March 1 through December 30 of this year. That includes payroll, personal protective equipment and some other equipment.
The grants are available to Type A and B hospitals in Oregon.
“Type A” is a rural hospital with 50 or fewer beds located more than 30 miles from another hospital. “Type B” refers to a rural hospital with 50 or fewer beds located within 30 miles of another hospital.
Rural hospitals in 18 Oregon counties are receiving grants. The awards were prioritized based on need, as exhibited in the application materials, officials said.
Below are awardees, locations, and award amounts.
| Applicant | County | City | Award Amount |
| Type A Hospitals A rural hospital with 50 or fewer beds located more than 30 miles from another hospital. | |||
| Blue Mountain Hospital District | Grant | John Day | $1,592,489 |
| Curry General Hospital | Curry | Gold Beach | $2,501,621 |
| Good Shepherd Medical Center | Umatilla | Hermiston | $6,134,753 |
| Harney District Hospital | Harney | Burns | $538,814 |
| Lake District Hospital | Lake | Lakeview | $1,900,000 |
| Pioneer Memorial Heppner | Morrow | Heppner | $991,829 |
| St Alphonsus Med Ctr-Baker City | Baker | Baker City | $1,322,822 |
| St Alphonsus Med Ctr-Ontario | Malheur | Ontario | $1,320,000 |
| Type B Hospitals A rural hospital with 50 or fewer beds located within 30 miles of another hospital. | |||
| Asante Ashland Comm Hospital | Jackson | Ashland | $2,386,634 |
| Coquille Valley Hospital | Coos | Coquille | $962,572 |
| Lower Umpqua Hospital | Douglas | Reedsport | $1,596,866 |
| Mid-Columbia Medical Center | Wasco | The Dalles | $591,034 |
| Samaritan Lebanon Hospital | Linn | Lebanon | $6,594,487 |
| Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital | Lincoln | Lincoln City | $3,453,751 |
| Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital | Lincoln | Newport | $4,635,959 |
| Santiam Memorial Hospital | Marion | Stayton | $3,496,233 |
| Southern Coos Hospital and Health Center | Coos | Bandon | $780,905 |
| St Charles - Madras | Jefferson | Madras | $1,866,811 |
| St Charles - Prineville | Crook | Prineville | $2,000,100 |
| St Charles - Redmond | Deschutes | Redmond | $4,521,591 |
Funding will be contingent upon successful contract execution between Business Oregon and recipients. All projects must be completed and grant funds must be expended by December 30, 2020. Unexpended funds will be returned to the U.S. Treasury in accordance with the CARES Act of 2020.
