HRSA’s Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) has released a funding notice on the FY 2014 “Rural Health Network Development Grant Program” (RHND). The grant funding supports rural integrated healthcare networks with a history of collaboration. This is important so that networks are able to develop and maintain collaborative relationships to integrate systems of care administratively, clinically, and financially.
Networks must consist of at least three healthcare providers that are separately owned entities that come together to develop strategies to help improve health services delivery systems in a rural community. However, newer networks created in more recent years are not only hospital networks but networks composed of physicians, health departments, school systems, and/or other community organizations.
One area mentioned in the funding announcement involves the use of technology to achieve public health goals. The funding announcement suggests that telehealth is needed to provide certain services despite significant limitations caused by the lack of provider workforce and transportation difficulties existing in rural communities.
The announcement includes several types of telehealth services needed as in the case of remote monitoring, interactive telehealth services, store and forward telehealth, imaging services, and specialist and primary care consultations.
Health IT /Meaningful Use (HIT /MU) can provide opportunities for technologies that are needed so that rural health providers can better serve their population with complete and accurate health information.
Types of HIT/MU activities may include e-prescribing, incorporating lab results into a Health Information Exchange, electronic transmission of patient care summaries across multiple settings, and enabling patients to have access to self-management tools, and comprehensive patient data through patient-centered HIE
Applicants must meet certain ownership and geographic requirements and the lead applicant in the organization must be a public or private non-profit entity located in a rural area, or in a rural census tract of an urban county.
The anticipated total funding is $4,500,000 for funding during FY 2014-2016 with 15 awards estimated. Applicants may apply for a ceiling amount of up to $300,000 per year. The project period is for three years.
The announcement (HRSA-14-044) was released September 25, 2013 with applications due November 22, 2013. For more information, go to www.grants.gov or email Leticia Manning in the Office of Rural Health Policy at L.Manning@hrsa.gov or call 301-443-8335.