USDA Rural Development’s Delta Health Care Services Grant Program recently awarded funding. The grant program provides financial assistance to address the continued unmet health needs in the Delta region. Since 2009, USDA has supported ten projects with almost $6 million available through the grant program.
This is accomplished through the cooperation among healthcare professionals, institutions of higher education, research institutions, and other individuals and entities in the Delta region. Grant funds may be used to develop healthcare services, health education programs, job training programs and to develop and expand public health-related facilities in the region. Grants can only be awarded to communities in the region with no more than 50,000 inhabitants.
Grant awards include:
- Tombigbee Health Authority in Alabama received a $900,000 grant to train nursing students who will support “Health Care on Wheels” a mobile unit that provides healthcare services, health literacy, education, telemedicine services, and community outreach
- Southeastern Louisiana University received a $75,000 grant to create a program to provide holistic patient care through community health education and provide continuing education for the staff at the North Oaks Clinic
- The South Central Ozark Council of Governments in Missouri received $186,143 in funds to provide health assessments, improve health education and training, and conduct wellness follow-ups
- Delta Health Alliance received $900,000 to improve public health to improve facilities at a rural health clinic and establish a telehealth network linking several medical facilities
- Delta State University received a $477,452 grant to provide advanced training for mental health counselors and to provide mental healthcare services to children and teens.
- University of Mississippi Medical Center received $461,405 in grant funding to establish a telehealth network to support continuing education for healthcare workers and to provide health and wellness education services.