Rural Hospital Provider Assistance Program - HRSA-26-105 Rural Hospital Provider Assistance Tift Regional Health System, Inc. dba Southwell Medical (CCN: 110101), located at 260 MJ Taylor Road, Adel, Georgia 31620, is a small rural hospital serving Cook County and surrounding communities. The hospital operates with no more than 50 acute care inpatient beds in a HRSA-designated rural area and maintains a Medicare wage index below 0.90, meeting all eligibility criteria. Southwell Medical faces structural payment disadvantages, including low patient volumes, workforce shortages, and high uncompensated care (approximately $5.2 million in FY 2025 with an operating loss of $510,597; projected additional loss of $500,000 and over $2.8 million in uncompensated care in FY 2026). These challenges threaten the hospital’s ability to sustain healthcare providers and essential services. Funding will support the maintenance of healthcare providers and essential health care services through workforce stabilization, retention of clinical staff (medical-surgical, geriatric psychiatric, surgical, radiology, laboratory, and pharmacy operations), contracted provider coverage (hospital medicine, behavioral health, and on-call services), recruitment initiatives, and related allowable activities. Annual clinical salaries exceed $7 million, with additional significant provider coverage costs. This award will offset wage index disadvantages, strengthen workforce stability, sustain local access to inpatient, surgical, psychiatric, diagnostic, and support services, and reduce the risk of service reductions or closure. All activities align with program goals of maintaining essential rural health services, HRSA priorities for rural access and fiscal stewardship, and MAHA objectives for community-based care. Funds will be used exclusively at the hospital level, with administrative costs (including indirect costs) not exceeding 10% of the award. Southwell Medical attests full compliance with all federal requirements.
