Funding Is Contained in the Fiscal Year 2008 LHHS Appropriations Conference Report
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Arlen Specter, Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Bob Casey, the Junior Senator of Pennsylvania, announced today the U.S. Congress has approved funding for several Altoona/Blair area health care, education and labor projects. The projects are contained in the Fiscal Year 2008 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Conference Report.
“I am pleased my colleagues have approved this important funding for the Altoona/Blair area,” Senator Specter said. “Health and education are our nation’s greatest capital assets, and these projects are vital to ensuring quality health care and education for the area’s residents.”
“This money is great news for the Altoona/Blair area and I am thrilled that Congress approved this funding,” said Senator Casey. “I will continue working with Senator Specter to ensure residents of the area have access to quality health care and education.”
The Conference Report must now be approved by the President of the United States before funding is final.
Altoona/Blair Area projects in the Conference Report include (if a House Member also requested a project, their name is indicated).
- $169,500 for Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center/College of Medicine in Centre County to construct a center in sleep disordered breathing.
- $90,000 for Tyrone Hospital in Blair County to purchase a picture archiving and communication system (PACS) for the Radiology Department.
- $90,000 for Wrightco Technologies, Inc. in Blair County to provide job training and vocational educational programs for dislocated workers and disadvantaged youth.
- $90,000 for Pennsylvania Highlands Community College in Cambria County to upgrade science laboratories and expand health care training programs.
- $90,000 for Saint Francis University in Cambria County to purchase research and rehabilitation equipment for the Rural Wellness & Science Complex.
- $251,750 for Mount Nittany Medical Center in Centre County for equipment and construction of a Regional Cancer Center adjacent to the main hospital. (John Peterson)
- $90,000 for Clearfield Hospital in Clearfield County to implement health information technology systems, including electronic medical records.
- $217,750 for DuBois Regional Medical Center in Clearfield County for purchase of equipment and to create a regional health information organization which allows partner organizations to connect to a central electronic medical record system. (Peterson)
- $263,750 for Fulton County Medical Center in Fulton County for facilities and to purchase equipment, including an MRI unit, CT unit, Xray unit, and surgical table. (Bill Shuster)
- $90,000 for Somerset Hospital in Somerset County to purchase and implement electronic medical records and pharmaceutical dispensing equipment. (Shuster)
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