Federal Grant Opportunities Available to Support Development of Rural Health Networks

The Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA) Federal Office of Rural Health Policy has announced two new funding opportunities to support the development and outcomes of rural health networks through two pilot programs, the Rural Network Allied Health Training Program and the Rural Health Care Coordination Network Partnership Program.

• The Rural Network Allied Health Training Program will support the development of formal, mature rural health networks that expand access to health-care services and strengthen the rural health-care system through the recruitment, clinical training, and retention of allied health professionals. This program will further support integrated rural health networks that can partner with local community colleges and other accredited education institutions (such as vocational and technical colleges) to develop formal clinical training programs. These training programs will target enrolled rural allied health professional students (including displaced workers and veterans) in completing a rural, community-based clinical training rotation and obtaining eventual employment with a rural health-care provider. Applicants may be public or private nonprofit institutions located in rural areas; networks must include at least three health-care providers.
  
  Applicants may apply for up to $200,000 per year for three years. Applications are due March 31, 2015. More information on applying for the program is available at Grants.gov.


• The Rural Health Care Coordination Network Partnership Program focuses on assisting formal rural health networks comprising at least three organizations to improve their outcomes in at least one of three chronic disease states through care-coordination strategies. The three disease states are chronic heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and type 2 diabetes. Lead applicants must be public or private nonprofit entities located in either rural counties or rural census tracts located in an urban county.
  
  Applicants may apply for up to $200,000 per year for three years. Applications are due April 6, 2015. More information on applying for the program is available on HRSA's Web site and at Grants.gov.
  
  In addition, ten foundations are interested in supporting this investment in care-coordination innovation by providing additional funding to organizations in their geographic service area. Four of the foundations serve portions of the Appalachian Region: The Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, the Sisters of Saint Joseph Charitable Fund, the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, and the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation. More information on this opportunity is available on HRSA's Rural Health Care Coordination Network Partnership Program page under "Applicant Resources." Applicants who would like to be considered for this foundation support must provide the information requested by 5:00 p.m. EDT on March 9.

Questions about these funding opportunities or about Appalachian health issues can be directed to ARC health program manager Eric Stockton at estockton@arc.gov or 202.884.7752.