CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A West Virginia hospital will receive $313,700 in pandemic relief funds through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Program.
The Potomac Valley Hospital in Mineral County was awarded the funds to help buy new medical equipment and reimburse labor expenses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin said in a news release Monday.
The hospital had a significant increase in COVID-19 patients from April to September 2021 and created an overflow wing that took over part of the emergency department and included tents set up in the parking lot, said Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat.
The overflow wing strained hospital employees and diminished most of their equipment resources, Manchin said.
USDA Rural Development provides funding for rural health care organizations to support and expand critical medical services, according to the news release.