HRSA Awards $2.7 Million to Improve Rural Health

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced $2.7 million in grants for two pilot programs to increase access to and improve health care in rural communities.  These 3-year grants will provide rural communities an opportunity to collaborate in training allied health professionals and expanding health insurance coverage.   

The Rural Network Allied Health Training Program, funded at $1,994,150, will support 10 awards for budget requests up to $200,000 in each of eight states to develop networks for improving rural health care through the recruitment, clinical training, and retention of allied health professionals.  Emphasis is on integrated rural health networks that can partner with local community colleges and other accredited educational institutions to develop formal clinical training programs for allied health professional students.   The program is in response to the Administration’s Job-Driven Training Initiative, which calls for effectively placing ready-to-work Americans in jobs that are available now, or training them in the skills needed for better jobs.   

“The strength of this program is its collaborative approach to training allied health professionals,” said HRSA Acting Administrator Jim Macrae.  “This program builds on HRSA’s efforts to help those living in rural communities have access to the comprehensive care they need.”

The Rural Outreach Benefits Counseling Program is funded at $749,915 to support 10 projects in nine states with budget requests up to $75,000 each.  The program is designed to expand health insurance outreach, education and enrollment efforts to eligible uninsured individuals and families; help educate the newly-insured about their benefits; and connect these individuals to primary and preventive services to which they now have access.  Both programs are managed by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) at HRSA. 

“With the large number of uninsured individuals living in rural areas, this program addresses a critical need,” said Tom Morris, FORHP director.  “It will help us identify the creative and effective models that are reaching the rural underserved.”

For more information FORHP’s rural programs, visit http://www.hrsa.gov/ruralhealth/index.html.   Lists of grant recipients follow.

Rural Network Allied Health Training Program – FY15
Organization	City	State	Amount
Tuskegee Area Health Education Center, Inc.	Tuskegee	AL	$198,795
Iowa Specialty Hospital-Clarion	Clarion	IA	$199,874
Indiana Rural Health Association, Inc.	Linton	IN	$200,000
Affiliated Service Providers of Indiana	Warsaw	IN	$197,215
Kentucky Community & Technical College-Madisonville Community College	Madisonville	KY	$198,397
Louisiana Rural Ambulance Alliance, Inc.	Napoleonville	LA	$200,000
Health Care Coalition of Lafayette County	Waverly	MO	$199,949
Montana State University	Bozeman	MT	$199,972
Union County Network	Clayton	NM	$199,948
Rehoboth McKinley Christian Health Care Services	Gallup	NM	$200,000
TOTAL			$1,994,450

Rural Outreach Benefits Counseling Program – FY15
Organization	City	State	Amount
Southeast Arizona Area Health Education Center	Nogales	AZ	$74,954
Tri-County Health Network	Telluride	CO	$75,000
Rural Health Works, Inc.	Byron	GA	$75,000
St. Mary’s Hospital, Inc.	Cottonwood	ID	$75,000
Affiliated Service Providers of Indiana, Inc.	Warsaw	IN	$75,000
Western Maryland Health Care Corporation	Oakland	MD	$75,000
County of Worcester	Snow Hill	MD	$75,000
Skaggs Community Hospital Association	Branson	MO	$75,000
Northeast Oregon Network	La Grande	OR	$75,000
Shawano Medical Center, Inc.	Shawano	WI	$74,961
TOTAL			$749,915

The Health Resources and Services Administration is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. HRSA is the primary Federal agency responsible for improving access to health care services for people who are uninsured, isolated, or medically vulnerable. For more information about HRSA and its programs, visit www.hrsa.gov.