HHS awards $8 million to expand COVID-19 training and technical assistance for health centers

This week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), awarded $8 million to 73 organizations that provide training and technical assistance (T/TA) to HRSA-funded health centers nationwide. These organizations will provide critical COVID-19 resources to health centers, including support and expertise to advance health centers’ ability to prevent, prepare, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Primary Care Associations (PCAs) received nearly $6 million to conduct COVID-19 T/TA activities based on the needs of states and regions. National Training and Technical Assistance Partners (NTTAP) received $2.5 million to enhance their COVID-19 T/TA to health centers, including strengthening health center operations and capacity to ensure access to comprehensive primary care services.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is critical to continue providing Americans with access to comprehensive primary care services, and these funds will provide the training and technical assistance for health centers to accomplish that goal,” said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. “This funding helps improve and build partnerships so health centers and other local organizations can coordinate their COVID-19 response and efforts to continue delivering care during the pandemic.”

This funding ensures that health centers continue to receive expanded T/TA, which is especially critical as additional support for health center workforce, emergency preparedness and emergency response is needed.

“PCAs and NTTAPs are instrumental in providing technical assistance to health centers so they can provide care to more than 28 million patients across the nation,” said HRSA Administrator Tom Engels. “Our training and technical assistance partners support our health centers in overcoming the unique challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic so they can continue to provide the highest quality of health care.”

This week’s targeted COVID-19 investment for the Health Center Program builds upon the nearly $2 billion HRSA has awarded to health centers to address COVID-19.

For a list of PCA award recipients, visit: https://bphc.hrsa.gov/qualityimprovement/strategicpartnerships/ncapca/associations.html

For a list of NTTAP award recipients, visit:
https://bphc.hrsa.gov/qualityimprovement/strategicpartnerships/ncapca/national-training

For more information about COVID-19, visit http://coronavirus.gov/.