Two hospital districts serving the Agriplex are receiving major federal grants aimed at strengthening rural health care.
Ballinger Memorial Hospital District and North Runnels County Hospital District have each been awarded $750,000 through the first round of the Rural Texas Strong initiative.
Governor Greg Abbott announced Monday that 68 rural hospital districts and authorities across Texas will share $51 million in federal funding administered through the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
The grants are designed to create or improve community-based prevention, wellness and nutrition programs, with an emphasis on improving health outcomes and addressing chronic conditions including diabetes, cardiovascular and respiratory disease, and obesity.
For the Agriplex, the awards mean a combined $1.5 million in new rural health funding for the Ballinger and North Runnels hospital districts.
The funding is part of a five-year federal rural health initiative expected to provide Texas an estimated $1.4 billion.
