Gov. Bill Lee announced Tuesday, May 19, 2020, the final distribution of $10 million in Small and Rural Hospital Readiness Grants to support smaller hospitals that are facing financial strain due to the ongoing response to COVID-19.

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“Our small and rural hospitals play a critical role in their communities, providing both necessary care to patients and good-paying jobs to residents, and we’re proud to support these hospitals through such unprecedented times,” said Gov. Lee. “We’ll continue to work with hospitals across our state and the federal government to ensure hospitals have the resources they need to maintain operations and serve their communities well.”

Spread across 29 hospitals in 28 counties, the grants help smaller hospitals bridge funding gaps created by reduced patient volumes while federal funds become available. Applicants were required to demonstrate that they are actively pursuing available federal relief. Grants were capped at $500,000.

West Tennessee hospitals receiving grants include: Henderson County Community Hospital, $500,000; Lauderdale Community Hospital, $500,000; Baptist Memorial – Carroll County, $250,000; Baptist Memorial – Tipton County, $136,545; Baptist Memorial – Union City, $136,545; Wayne Medical Center, $500,000.