LAWTON — Comanche County Memorial Hospital will receive $607,959 in American Rescue Plan Act dollars to upgrade the hospital’s internet capability and buy additional equipment.
With little discussion, the Comanche County Board of Commissioners voted 3-0 Monday to finalize the hospital grants, which will come out of the county’s share of ARPA dollars.
One of the grants is for $446,377.69, some of which will be used to upgrade the hospital’s computer network and internet connections with fiber optic lines, according to the commission agenda. The rest of the grant will be spent on providing wi-fi and cellular hubs, along with additional broadband technology.
The hospital also received a $161,581.87 grant to buy and install five Zoll cardiac defibrillators/monitors, according to the agenda. The devices will be used to treat and monitor possible COVID-19 patients, as well as COVID survivors with lasting medical conditions.
Comanche County received approximately $23 million in financial assistance under ARPA, a federal relief program designed to help local and tribal governments recover from the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The county is distributing a portion of that money to counties and organizations, such as the hospital, for eligible projects.