Licensure portability goes beyond improving the efficiency and effectiveness of electronic practice services. Overcoming unnecessary licensure barriers to cross-State practices is seen as a strategy to expedite the mobility of health professionals. This is important since there is an increasing shortages of healthcare professionals in rural and other areas that has increased the demand for healthcare services.
Licensure portability is one of the key elements needed to improve access to quality healthcare services by deploying telehealth and other electronic practice services such as e-care or e-health services in the U.S.
HRSA’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy’s (FORHP) www.hrsa.gov/ruralhealth Office for the Advancement of Telehealth is accepting applications from State professional licensing boards for the FY 2016 “Licensure Portability Grant Program” (LPGP) (HRSA-16-014).
This program works with State licensing boards that are active in implementing cross-border activities with the goal to overcome policy and license barriers to providing telemedicine and telehealth services across many states.
Previous LPGP award recipients have used the funding to develop uniform on-line applications to be used by multiple states, allowing for a more efficient and less burdensome application process for physicians and psychologists seeking to be licensed in multiple States to provide telemedicine/telehealth services.
The program will provide funding during FY 2016-2019 for approximately $500,000 for up to two grants and it is estimated that the award will be up to $250,000 per year. The project will run from July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2019.
The funding was announced on November 17, 2015 with applications due January 19, 2016. Go to www.hrsa.gov/ruralhealth/programsopportunities/fundingopportunities/default.aspx to view the application.
Email Anthony Olive Project Officer for the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth at aoliver@hrsa.gov for more information.