$360 million investment for Medical West Hospital in Bessemer

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Photo Credit: Terri Sewell

Yesterday U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell welcomed U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Jewel Bronaugh and Undersecretary for Rural Development Xochitl Torres Small to Medical West Hospital in Bessemer. During the visit, Deputy Secretary Bronaugh announced more than $1 billion in investments by the USDA, including $360 million for the construction of the Medical West Hospital in Bessemer.

Bessemer’s Medical West Hospital Authority will use this $360 million Community Facilities Direct Loan to build a 405,186- square-foot facility located to serve rural west Jefferson County, rural west Tuscaloosa County, and other surrounding rural communities. This project will benefit approximately 333,000 rural people in these communities. 

Medical West Hospital is one of 737 projects that USDA is helping to fund. The projects will finance emergency response vehicles and equipment; build or improve hospitals and clinics and help fund other essential community facilities. 

“I was so pleased to welcome USDA Deputy Secretary Bronaugh and Undersecretary Torres Small to Alabama today!” said Rep. Sewell. “I want to thank them and the rest of the Biden-Harris Administration for their commitment to Alabama’s 7th Congressional District and for bringing transformational investments like this right here to our doorstep. Thanks to this $360 million investment, the construction of Medical West Hospital in Bessemer will expand access to critical health care services for thousands of residents in Jefferson and Tuscaloosa Counties and the surrounding rural communities.”

“The Biden-Harris Administration has made investing in infrastructure improvements a top priority,” said Deputy Secretary Bronaugh. “These loans and grants will help rural communities invest in facilities and services that are vital to all communities, such as health care facilities, schools, libraries, and first responder vehicles and equipment. When we invest in essential services in rural America, we build opportunity and prosperity for the people who call rural communities home.”

Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs, and improve the quality of life for Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements, business development, housing, and community facilities.

Bronaugh emphasized the critical role that Senator Richard Shelby had in fighting for additional funding for the Community Facilities Direct Loans.

Shelby commented on Twitter, “This funding will significantly increase access to health care, education, and public services in rural communities. I will continue to support projects that improve the lives of all Alabamians and appreciate @USDA’s support of @medwesthopital’s new facility.”