CMC clears early hurdle in federal funding for staff tiny homes

Coulee Medical Center’s request for $3 million made it into next year’s Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration appropriations bill, released by the U.S. House Appropriations Committee last week.

The housing project, called “Relief for Rural Health Workforce,” had won the support of Rep. Dan Newhouse of the 4th Congressional District.

“Providing critical care in this large service area takes a unique toll on the health care providers and medical professionals that often have multi-hour commutes, necessitating a designated space for staff to rest and recuperate in between shifts,” Newhouse wrote in his May 3 letter to the Appropriations Committee, responsible for assembling the proposed Congressional budget.

The proposed budget will go through other checks and balances before it can be officially adopted for fiscal year 2025, which begins October 1, 2024. But making it into the Appropriations Committee’s bill is a good sign.

“From here, securing federal funding for the project will be dependent on Congress negotiating and passing finalized legislation that funds the U.S. Department of Agriculture and includes CMC’s project,” said a statement released by CMC Chief Financial Officer Kelly Hughes. “This process is expected to continue playing out into late 2024.”