HHS announced that, thanks to the American Rescue Plan, through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), it provided $398 million in funding through the Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP) to 1,540 small rural hospitals for COVID-19 testing and mitigation. State Offices of Rural Health, which work with small rural hospitals to implement quality and operational improvement efforts, will receive the funding announced today to distribute to eligible small rural hospitals in their state. Hospitals will use the funds to maintain or increase COVID-19 testing, expand access to testing for rural residents, and tailor mitigation efforts to reflect the needs of local communities.