Rural Hospital Provider Assistance Program - Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital (SJMH) is an eligible rural hospital located in Weston, West Virginia, serving Lewis County and surrounding rural communities. Through the Rural Hospital Provider Assistance Program (HRSA-26-105), SJMH seeks funding to support the maintenance of healthcare providers and essential healthcare services through the acquisition and implementation of a new diagnostic ultrasound system. The proposed project aligns directly with the purpose of the Rural Hospital Provider Assistance Program, which provides direct financial assistance to eligible rural hospitals to help maintain healthcare providers and sustain access to essential health services. The hospital faces ongoing challenges common to rural healthcare organizations, including workforce recruitment and retention, increasing operational costs, and the need to maintain critical diagnostic capabilities with limited financial resources. Reliable diagnostic imaging services are essential to supporting physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, and other clinical staff who deliver care across emergency, inpatient, outpatient, family medicine, women's health, and specialty care settings. Project funds will be used to purchase a diagnostic ultrasound machine and support necessary implementation activities, including installation, training, maintenance, and technology integration. The new system will enhance diagnostic capacity, improve workflow efficiency, reduce delays in diagnosis and treatment, and strengthen the hospital's ability to provide timely, high-quality care close to home. The project will also support provider satisfaction and retention by ensuring access to modern diagnostic tools necessary for effective clinical practice. Expected outcomes include maintaining local access to essential diagnostic imaging services, supporting healthcare provider retention, reducing equipment-related service interruptions, improving patient access to care, and decreasing the need for patients to travel outside the community for diagnostic services. The hospital will monitor equipment utilization, service availability, and provider feedback to evaluate project success. Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital is committed to responsible stewardship of federal resources and sustaining access to essential healthcare services for rural West Virginians. This project will strengthen the hospital's capacity to maintain healthcare providers and continue delivering high-quality healthcare services to the communities it serves.
