Ben Pifher/MDN Dr. Basil Gooden, undersecretary for USDA Rural Development, addresses about 250 community members at the opening of the new Heart of America Medical Center in Rugby on Tuesday.

More than $50 million has been invested in the new Heart of America Medical Center in Rugby from USDA Rural Development through the Community Facilities Program and the Emergency Rural Health Care Program.

Dr. Basil Gooden, undersecretary for USDA Rural Development, attended the ribbon cutting for the new hospital Tuesday.

Gooden said in a speech at the event the USDA enabled the project through a multimillion dollar loan.

USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas, Gooden’s staff said.

Gooden was confirmed to the undersecretary position by the U.S. Senate in February of this year and acts as a liaison between the federal government and state governments to ensure federal money is going where it should. Part of his job also is ensuring state administrators distribute federal resources to communities throughout each state. He has been on a week-long tour of the Midwest to see the impact his agency is having, according to his staff.

When speaking of the challenges facing rural Americans today with regard to healthcare, Gooden stressed access to resources as a need in both rural and urban areas. According to Gooden, the Biden-Harris administration is focusing on rural development “to bring resources and opportunities to rural America – the same opportunities we see across the rest of the country.”

He further clarified that by resources, he refers to education, healthcare, housing and infrastructure, and stated his goal is to ensure rural America has the same access as other parts of America.

“The impact that hospitals have on the economic wellbeing, the livelihood, of the community is tremendous,” said Gooden, explaining that another benefit the new hospital will have is making the community of Rugby more inviting.

“High quality healthcare has a broader impact beyond just making people feel better and providing services, it really is an economic engine, providing jobs, health, safety and wellbeing to local communities,” he said.

The USDA has invested in six other small community hospitals in North Dakota, including in Cando. This is part of a large initiative by the USDA to bring more access to healthcare to communities that are without nearby services, Gooden said.