Delta Regional Authority Welcomes Nine Healthcare Facilities to Technical Assistance Program

Cohort 2023 includes healthcare facilities in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Missouri

Clarksdale, MS – Delta Regional Authority (DRA) today announced nine additional healthcare facilities have been chosen to participate and receive technical support through the Delta Region Community Health Systems Development (DRCHSD) Program, which enhances healthcare delivery by providing technical assistance to critical access hospitals, small rural hospitals, rural health clinics, and other healthcare organizations across DRA’s service area.

“Access to affordable, high-quality health and wellbeing services is crucial for improving residents’ quality of life and fostering economic prosperity in rural communities,” said Federal Co-Chairman Dr. Corey Wiggins. “Investing in intensive technical assistance for healthcare providers through the Delta Region Community Health Systems Development Program not only enhances healthcare delivery but also serves as a catalyst for economic development in rural communities across DRA’s region.”   

In 2017, DRA partnered with the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy to establish the DRCHSD Program. The technical assistance provided by subject matter experts at the National Rural Health Resource Center supports capacity building in the areas of financial and operational efficiency, quality improvement, telehealth, community coordination, population health, emergency medical services, and workforce recruitment and retention. From 2017 to 2023, the program supported 54 organizations in 52 DRA communities across DRA’s eight-state region.

The following nine healthcare facilities were selected for the DRCHSD Cohort in 2023.

Alabama

Atmore Community Hospital, Atmore, Alabama, is an acute care hospital that serves Escambia County.

Arkansas

Baptist Health Medical Center Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Arkansas, is a prospective payment system hospital that serves Arkansas County.

Louisiana

DeSoto Regional Health System, Mansfield, Louisiana, is a prospective payment system hospital that serves DeSoto Parish.

Mississippi

Aaron E. Henry Community Health Services, Clarksdale, Mississippi, is a federally qualified health center that serves Coahoma County.

Delta Health System Medical Center, Greenville, Mississippi, is a prospective payment system hospital that serves Washington County.

Jefferson County Hospital, Fayette, Mississippi, is a rural emergency hospital that serves Jefferson County.

Quality Family Medical Clinic, Greenville, Mississippi, is a rural health clinic that serves Washington County.

Tallahatchie General Hospital, Charleston, Mississippi, is a critical access hospital that serves Tallahatchie County.

Missouri

Texas County Memorial Hospital, Houston, Missouri, is a prospective payment system hospital that serves Texas County.

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About the Delta Regional Authority

The DRA was established in 2000 as a formal framework for joint federal-state collaboration to promote and encourage the economic development of the lower Mississippi River and Alabama Black Belt regions. To fulfill this purpose, DRA invests in projects supporting transportation infrastructure, basic public infrastructure, workforce training, and business development. DRA’s region encompasses 252 counties and parishes in parts of Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee.

 HUD Announces Agreement with Affordable Rental Housing Provider to Increase Housing Opportunity

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today that it has entered a Voluntary Compliance Agreement for Shore Hill Apartments resolving a compliance review concerning non-discrimination in marketing and tenanting procedures. Shore Hill Apartments is a 558-unit multifamily property comprised of studio and one-bedroom units in Brooklyn, New York. The property provides affordable subsidized units through the Section 8 program for families with a member who is 62 or older or has a disability, including otherwise qualified families with children. Read the Agreement.

HUD enforces the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination because of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability. HUD also enforces other federal civil rights laws, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance.

“Restrictive occupancy policies can limit housing opportunities for families in a manner that is discriminatory,” said Demetria L. McCain, HUD’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “HUD is committed to ensuring that every eligible applicant has a meaningful opportunity to participate in HUD funded housing programs.”

This Agreement arises from a compliance review that was conducted by HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) under Title VI and Section 504. FHEO opened the review based on information indicating disproportionately low participation rates of Black and Hispanic residents relative to the housing market area over decades, extending to prior owners of the property. The review sought to ensure eligible persons were not discriminated against in opportunities to learn about, apply to, and reside in HUD subsidized housing on the basis of race, color or national origin. In particular, the review revealed the property’s occupancy standard restricted occupancy of studio units to a family size of one and one-bedroom units to a family size of two, contributing to denials based on race and deterring families as small as two persons from applying to the property. FHEO expanded the review to include Section 504 when the investigation revealed the property had a practice of denying families with heads of households under 62 years of age, without considering whether the household was otherwise eligible to apply to and reside in the property on the basis of disability.

The Agreement provides a fund in the amount of $510,000 to compensate individuals who were either denied due to the restrictive occupancy policy, or individuals with disabilities who were improperly denied housing. In addition, the Agreement requires creation of a new waitlist after robust marketing to those least likely to apply, committing a minimum of $10,000 towards advertising, outreach, and website development; affirmative agreement not to adopt an elderly preference and to consider equally for tenancy otherwise qualified applicants with disabilities and applicants aged 62 or over; and revising the property’s occupancy policy to be no more restrictive than local ordinance. This Agreement does not constitute admissions by the housing providers or evidence of a final determination by HUD of violations of Title VI, Section 504, or any other laws.

Individuals who believe they have experienced discrimination in housing may file a complaint by contacting HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at (800) 669-9777 (voice) or (800) 877-8339 (Federal Relay Service).