DRA grants targeted at better health care in rural areas

The Delta Regional Authority and its state and local partners announced Thursday seven new Southeast Missouri investment projects worth $11.3 million.

Two of the projects designed to help small business owners, families and communities in Southeast Missouri are meant to improve medical-care access in some of the more rural areas.

The authority is a federal-state partnership that supports job creation by providing grants for projects in parts of eight states along the Mississippi River. The new investments focus on issues such as job training and infrastructure repairs in the Southeast Missouri part of the Delta region.

The Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston will receive $205,320 from the authority to renovate and expand its emergency department.

Marcie Lawson, the Missouri Delta Medical Center Foundation executive director, said given the limited availability of medical services in more rural areas, it is especially important emergency departments are well maintained.

" ... It's really essential we have an up to date, state-of-the-art emergency department that focuses on patient privacy and gives those in the emergency room the ability to work efficiently and effectively so that we can get people to come to Missouri Delta, especially in a life or death situation where driving to a further hospital really is not an option," she said.

Another investment to address the shortage issue comes in the form of $100,000 for Three Rivers College to purchase simulation learning equipment for its nursing students. Paulette Alexander of the school's nursing program noted the shortage of nurses in the area and said the improved training is a step in the right direction.

"Any kind of monies that brings the ability for nursing programs to expand and train nurses to go into the community to provide better health care to our community members is definitely a plus," she said.

Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill said of the 252 counties and parishes that make up the eight-state Delta region, 214 suffer from some type of health professional shortage or are considered medically underserved.

"That's a high, high number for us," he said. "It's something we recognize that impacts local community growth, economic development, work force ... and that's why training these nurses, providing the equipment they need so they can expand these programs fits right in line with the mission and goals that we're trying to address."

srinehart@semissourian.com

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