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National
USDA
Official
Tours
Cloquet
Community
Memorial
Hospital
USDA
Rural Development Under Secretary Gil Gonzalez Impressed With Facility
CLOQUET,
Minn.
Oct. 21 – Nearing completion of a $15 million expansion project, the
Cloquet
Community
Memorial
Hospital
welcomed Gil Gonzalez, Under Secretary of Rural Development in the United
States Department of Agriculture, for a tour of the facility today. USDA Rural
Development provided a $10 million guaranteed loan and a $240,000 USDA Rural
Economic Development Grant to help finance the expansion.
“Healthcare facilities are an essential part of what we provide funding for at
USDA Rural Development,” Gonzalez said. “Our agency can truly build a rural
community from the ground up. We can provide rural communities with a water and
sewer system, single- and multi-family housing, essential community facilities
like clinics, hospitals and fire halls, renewable energy, electricity and job
opportunities and economic development.
The
Cloquet
Community
Memorial
Hospital
expansion project added a two-story addition to the front of the hospital which
houses four surgery suites, a consolidation of lab services, radiology services
and a new emergency room. The project added 59,182 square feet to the existing
hospital, bringing the size of the hospital to 152,169 square feet.
Built in1957, the hospital provides medical services to citizens in Cloquet,
Carlton
County
and surrounding rural areas. Currently, the facility is licensed for 36 beds
and has an 88-bed nursing home attached. The expansion project began in August
of 2003.
“Working in
Washington
D.C.
it can be easy to get caught up in statistics and number crunching,” Gonzalez
said. “It’s refreshing to visit a facility like this one in Cloquet and see
firsthand how the work USDA Rural Development benefits rural
America
. The
Cloquet
Community
Memorial
Hospital
administration, the Cloquet community and the USDA Rural Development Minnesota
state staff really need to be commended for making this expansion project
happen. This facility is a model for other rural hospitals across the nation.
USDA Rural Development has been
active in providing funding for other essential community facilities throughout
the
Iron
Range
the last three years.
Fond du Lac
College
has received over $188,000 in grants for building projects. The city of
Nashwauk
received $110,000 for fire trucks and equipment and
Lutsen
Township
received $20,000 for a fire truck.
USDA Rural Development has also provided funding for multi-family housing on the
Iron
Range
. The city of
Chisolm
,
Minn.
received nearly $3.5 million for a congregate housing project and the city of
Ely
,
Minn.
was awarded $3.1 million for an elderly housing project this year.
In the last four years, USDA Rural
Development has invested $2.1 billion throughout
Minnesota
-- more than twice the national average.
“Funding for USDA Rural Development projects comes from the U.S. Farm Bill,
signed by President George W. Bush in May of 2002,” said Steve Wenzel,
Minnesota State Director for USDA Rural Development. “That bill provided
essential funding for
America
’s farmers and ranchers, but it also provided funding for rural development
projects. USDA Rural Development carries out President Bush’s vision for a
strong rural
America
.”
USDA
Rural Development's mission is to deliver programs in a way that will support
increasing economic opportunity and improve the quality of life of rural
residents. As a venture capital entity, Rural Development provides equity and
technical assistance to finance and foster growth in home ownership, business
development, and critical community and technology infrastructure.
Back to News
page
Community Memorial Hospital in Cloquet,
Minn., made possible by $10.2 million from USDA Rural Development.
USDA Under Secretary of Rural Development
Gil Gonzalez, left, visits with hospital officials after completing a
tour of the facility. |
Gonzalez, left, chats with the
hospital's executive director.
The hospital now features brand new,
state-of-the-art surgery rooms like the one above. |
| 
Minnesota
