Press Release

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $2.5 Million in CARES Act Recovery Assistance to Renovate Northwest Medical Center in Winfield, Alabama

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $2.5 million CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to Healthcare Authority of Winfield, Winfield, Alabama, to renovate Northwest Medical Center. This EDA grant, matched by $1.5 million in local funds, is expected to generate nearly $2 million in private investment.

“President Biden is committed to ensuring that American citizens have access to quality health care and that our communities are positioned to not only recover from this pandemic but build back better,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. “This EDA investment will provide renovations to Northwest Medical Center’s intensive care unit and emergency department, improving access to health care for local citizens.”

“The Economic Development Administration supports locally developed economic development strategies designed to improve coronavirus recovery and response efforts,” said Dennis Alvord, Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. “This renovation project will better enable Northwest Medical Center to protect both its patients and employees from infectious diseases while enhancing local economic resilience.”

“Investing in access to quality healthcare is of the utmost importance, particularly in rural areas. I am pleased with EDA’s decision to award this $2.5 million grant – funded through last year’s CARES Act – to the Healthcare Authority of Winfield for improvements to Alabama’s Northwest Medical Center,” said Senator Richard Shelby. “These renovations and repairs will help the residents of Northwest Alabama generate a top-tier medical facility to continue the fight against COVID-19, expand the treatment of emergency situations, and boost the local economy.”

“The renovation of Northwest Medical Center is a worthy investment and a step in the right direction to increase access to health care in rural Alabama,” said Senator Tommy Tuberville. “This past year underscored the need for action to address the lack of rural health care resources, and it is great to see tangible results that will benefit folks in Winfield and surrounding areas.”

This project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the Northwest Alabama Council of Local Governments, which EDA funds to bring together the public and private sectors to create an economic development roadmap to strengthen the regional economy, support private capital investment and create jobs.

This project is funded under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (Public Law 116-136 PDF), which provided EDA with $1.5 billion for economic assistance programs to help communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance, which is being administered under the authority of the bureau’s flexible Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) (PDF) program, provides a wide-range of financial assistance to eligible communities and regions as they respond to and recover from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation's regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA makes investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.