"Nearly $500 million in economic stimulus money will go to the Indian Health Service, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday.

Of that, $227 million will be spent on construction of IHS facilities, $100 million on maintenance and improvements, $85 million on health information technology, $68 million on sanitation facilities construction and $20 million on health equipment.

HHS said money for construction will be spent, in part, on construction of the new Norton Sound Regional Hospital in Nome, Alaska. The hospital will replace a 61-year-old hospital that is too small to serve nearly 10,000 users, HHS said.

Further, the project will create a substantial number of jobs in Nome, which struggles with a 12.7 percent unemployment rate, according to the Bureau of Labor.

"The Recovery Act will help meet many critical health needs in Indian communities, create jobs and boost our economy," said IHS Director Robert G. McSwain."

Get the Story:
Kevin Abourezk: Will Two New IHS Hospitals Tie Up Funding? (RezNet News 3/20)

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