The Poarch Band of Creek Indians this week announced a $1 million donation to Atmore Community Hospital, which serves the city of Atmore and western Escambia County, Alabama, where the tribe’s trust lands are located.

The donation, which was approved by Poarch’s Tribal Council, provides funding that the hospital reportedly urgently needs to replace vital equipment such as a CT scan, ultrasound imaging and new hospital beds.

Additionally, the sizable funding from the tribe will help the hospital meet added expenses and staffing needs associated with collecting samples for testing and caring for patients potentially affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Poarch Band of Creek Indians Tribal Chair and CEO Stephanie Bryan said in a statement, “We know how critically important Atmore Community Hospital is to our Tribe and all of our neighbors who live in and around Atmore. We understand the financial challenges that rural hospitals like it face every day, and we support its mission and its leadership. That is especially true now that our country is dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. We are committed to doing everything we can to make sure this great hospital that serves our community has what it needs.”

Atmore Community Hospital is governed by the Escambia County Healthcare Authority’s board of directors.

Chris Griffin, CEO of the Escambia County Healthcare Authority, stated, “This extremely generous donation from the Tribe could not have come at a more opportune time. We are committed to caring for our community, especially now during the Covid-19 crisis. These funds will help us pay for the expensive equipment and capital improvements that we have sorely needed, and the Tribe has also made it possible for us to cover the unexpected costs associated with the virus. We are so grateful that Poarch has supported us at critically important times through the years, and this is certainly one of them.”

Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn