Eight counties | 36 cities | one region

POTOSI—With funding from the Delta Regional Authority’s (DRA) State Economic Development Assistance Program (SEDAP), Washington County Memorial Hospital will begin work to construct a 4,000 square foot rural healthcare training center in Potosi, Mo. The facility will address critical healthcare workforce shortages by providing local training for CNAs, LPNs, RNs and allied health professionals. 

“This grant represents a transformative investment in Washington County’s future,” Kelly Brueggen, Washington County Memorial Hospital Director of Strategic Engagement, said in an email. “Currently, only 14% of our workforce has healthcare training despite having 700 healthcare jobs in our community. This training center will provide residents access to advanced healthcare education, allowing them to build careers close to home while strengthening our community’s healthcare infrastructure. We’re not just building a facility—we’re creating sustainable pathways from entry-level positions through professional advancement, keeping our talented workforce in Washington County while improving healthcare access for all our residents.”

Building on existing partnerships with local colleges and the Washington County IDA, the center will serve Washington County’s 23,000 residents and train over 200 local healthcare professionals and students annually. The project includes two nursing simulation laboratories, three multi-purpose classrooms and skills demonstration areas equipped with hospital-grade equipment and interactive technology. 

The total project will cost approximately $465,394 of which $427,043 will be covered by the DRA grant. 

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 mission is to help create jobs, build communities and improve the lives of those who reside in the 255 counties and parishes in parts of Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. There are 27 Missouri counties in the DRA eight-state service area, including Dent, Crawford, Phelps and Washington counties within the Meramec Region. Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) is the designated Local Development District (LDD) for the four Meramec counties in the DRA. MRPC provides assistance with planning, project development, grant writing and grant administration. To learn more about the Delta Regional Authority’s programs and initiatives, visit www.dra.gov. 

Formed in 1969, MRPC is a voluntary council of governments serving Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties and their respective cities. Osage County Presiding Commissioner Darryl Griffin serves as chairman of the board. MRPC is designated as a Local Development District with DRA. A professional staff of 24, directed by the MRPC board, offers technical assistance and services, such as grant preparation and administration, housing assistance, transportation planning, environmental planning, ordinance codification, business loans and other services to member communities. 

To keep up with the latest MRPC news and events, visit the MRPC website at www.meramecregion.org or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/meramecregion/.

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