HRSA’s https://www.hrsa.gov Office of Rural Health Policy provides funds under the “Small Health Care Provider Quality Improvement Program” (HRSA-19-018) referred to as the “FY 2019 Rural Quality Program”. The goal is to support planning and implementation of quality improvement activities for rural primary care providers or providers of healthcare services.
HRSA is seeking projects to improve the delivery of healthcare to improve, patient health outcomes for rural communities and deliver quality essential rural healthcare services. Additional objectives are to provide enhanced chronic disease management and increase engagement of patients and their caregivers. “FY 2019 Rural Quality Program” is also requesting proposals focusing the integration of mental/ behavioral health services into the rural primary care setting.
HRSA encourages applicants to incorporate quality improvement initiatives that align with Patient-Centered Medical Homes (PCMH) and Value-Based Care Delivery (VBC) approaches to care.
Although, it is not a requirement, HRSA strongly encourages applicants to form a consortium or network for this program as HRSA finds the formation of partnerships for community-based projects an effective way to meet rural community needs and effective in expanding critical healthcare services and rural delivery systems.
Funding may also be used to provide start-up funds for quality improvement initiatives so that recipients are able to develop the necessary capacity and ability to obtain funding from other sources.
Eligible applicants must be rural public or rural nonprofit private healthcare providers or a provider of healthcare services such as a critical access hospital or rural health clinic. Also, applicants can be a network of small rural providers that will receive an award for the same or similar project. Applications are being accepted up to April 22, 2019 with the projected award date to be August 1, 2019.
The anticipated total annual funding for the “Small Health Care Provider Quality Improvement Program” is $6,400,000 with anticipated award amount to be up to $200,000 per year. Go to https://www.hrsa.gov/ruralhealth/programopportunities/fundingopportunities/?id=00ba519a-3f47-4987-99ba-b1d443cf8097 for more information, or contact Katherine Lloyd at klloyd@hrsa.gov