SEAFORD — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will provide $1.6 million to Nanticoke Hospital to help it respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nanticoke did not initially receive funding through the federal CARES Act, prompting the members of Delaware’s congressional delegation to reach out to the HHS secretary.

“Nanticoke, as a rural Medicare Dependent Hospital (MDH), is experiencing all of the same COVID-19 challenges that other small, rural hospitals across the nation are facing to include looming cuts without immediate assistance,” the delegation wrote in a letter. “However, as a rural MDH in an all urban state, Nanticoke did not qualify for any of the badly needed funding from the rural set aside of the Provider Relief Fund. We are very concerned by this situation, and believe Nanticoke is unique in the nation in this regard.”