Ray County Hospital and Healthcare announced $240,000 in grants to address gaps in community services as part of Project Guardian, the organization’s population health program. In June 2023, the hospital was accepted into the Transformation of Rural Community Health (ToRCH) pilot program sponsored by the Missouri Health-Net Division and began laying the foundation of the local chapter, Project Guardian. The ToRCH pilot project will address negative social care hurdles affecting individuals’ ability to maintain health and manage chronic conditions. “ToRCH is a groundbreaking initiative that empowers and encourages rural communities to collaborate to address healthcare-related social needs among their Medicaid population, focusing on driving better health outcomes,” said DSS Director Robert Knodelis. Created for Medicaid patients, it is designed to bring resources to rural communities to address the causes of poor health outcomes, known as social determinants of health. Healthcare…