Rural hospitals receive grants through UND Center for Rural Health program Fifteen rural North Dakota communities will benefit from grants provided to rural hospitals through the North Dakota Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Program administered through the Center for Rural Health (CRH) at the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences. This year, the North Dakota Flex Program distributed approximately $269,000 through 20 grants to help rural hospitals across the state improve emergency services, purchase diagnostic equipment, train staff and volunteers, educate community members, update health information systems, and improve the delivery of health care. Some hospitals will use the funds, for example, to provide critical training to emergency services staff and volunteers, purchase new equipment for emergency pediatric care or diagnostic scanners, enhance cardiac rehabilitation, conduct health screenings, educate students about health careers or develop plans to upgrade facilities. Facilities that received grants include • St. Andrew’s Health Center, Bottineau • Southwest Healthcare Services, Bowman • St. Luke’s Hospital, Crosby • Garrison Memorial Hospital, Garrison • St. Aloisius Medical Center, Harvey • Sakakawea Medical Center, Hazen • Union Hospital, Mayville • Northwood Deaconess Health Center, Northwood • First Care Health Center, Park River • Presentation Medical Center, Rolla • Heart of America Medical Center, Rugby • Mountrail County Medical Center, Stanley • Tioga Medical Center, Tioga • Community Memorial Hospital, Turtle Lake • McKenzie County Healthcare Systems, Inc., Watford City The North Dakota Flex Program, funded through a grant from the federal Office of Rural Health Policy (Health Resources and Services Administration), is a state-based partnership that works with and assists rural hospitals to stabilize and sustain their local health care infrastructure. In addition to grants, the CRH also uses North Dakota Flex Program funds to provide technical assistance to rural providers for community assessments, staff surveys and strategic planning. To learn more about the ND Flex Program and its work with hospitals, visit http://ruralhealth.und.edu/projects/flex/. To learn more about North Dakota’s rural hospitals and review individual hospital profiles visit http://ruralhealth.und.edu/projects/flex/hospitals.php. The CRH administers the North Dakota Flex Program, which also includes formal partnerships with the North Dakota Department of Health, the North Dakota Healthcare Review, Inc. and the North Dakota Healthcare Association. -- Denis F. MacLeod, communications coordinator, Center for Rural Health, dmacleod@medicine.nodak.edu, 777-3300