Armstrong County Memorial Hospital (ACMH) was awarded $1 million in state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grants yesterday, August 1, according to Senator Joe Pittman and Representative Jeff Pyle.
“I am extremely pleased the state is making this significant investment to protect and improve the health and well-being of our local residents,” Senator Pittman said. “ACMH is moving forward with a major expansion and modernization project. This state funding supports the sustainability of independent hospitals in rural communities. ACMH is focused on providing care in their home community, as opposed to those that are part of a larger network, which tend to be more focused on bottom lines and balance sheets.”
ACMH is planning to modernize its existing oncology wing through renovations and new construction.
“From first-hand knowledge, I can witness with a degree of sadness that there is a readily identifiable need for a bigger oncology unit,” said Representative Pyle. “I’ve seen ACMH nurses have to literally jump over people’s legs who were receiving chemo. Hopefully this funding will alleviate those issues. There are remaining questions that have to be answered but hopefully those discussions will take place very soon.”
“Oncology and Cancer care is a core service and of paramount importance to a community - it is no less critical than our hospital’s emergency department to Armstrong and our region’s population. We sincerely appreciate and thank Senator Joe Pittman and Rep Jeff Pyle for their efforts in working to secure our state RACP grant,” said John Lewis, ACMH CEO.
RACP is administered by the Office of the Budget for the acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic, recreational, and historical improvement projects. RACP projects are authorized in the Redevelopment Assistance section of a Capital Budget Itemization Act, have a regional or multi-jurisdictional impact, and generate substantial increases or maintain current levels of employment, tax revenues, or other measures of economic activity.