Small hospitals receive funds through Rural Health

The Center for Rural Health will distribute over $318,000 from the Small Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP) to 36 rural hospitals in North Dakota.

“The Center for Rural Health is pleased to continue its partnership with the state’s small rural hospitals. Each year funds are used to support different local health care needs as determined by the rural health system’s themselves,” said Marlene Miller, program director at the Center for Rural Health. “This will be the ninth year funding has been awarded and North Dakota hospitals continue to express their appreciation for assistance in providing quality care to their patients and residents.”

Administered by the Center for Rural Health, SHIP is funded through a grant from the federal Office of Rural Health Policy. The purpose of the program is to support rural hospitals in providing quality care to rural residents and to fund financial studies designed to help with complex health care billing, coding and reimbursement processes. Funds have been used to upgrade equipment for financial operations and information technology, and for staff training, consultation, and educational materials.

— Kristine Henke, communications coordinator, Rural Health, 777-0871, kristine.henke@med.und.edu.