November 2, 2021 Apply Now! Rural Health Network Development Planning Funding Opportunity The Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA) Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) has announced a funding opportunity that supports the planning and development of integrated health care networks seeking to expand access and improve quality of care in rural communities. HRSA plans to award 20 grants to rural communities as part of this funding opportunity. Review the funding opportunity to learn more about eligibility & apply: FORHP will hold a technical assistance webinar via Zoom for applicants on Wednesday, November 17, 2021 from 3-4 p.m. ET. A recording will be available for those who cannot attend. (Meeting ID: 161 864 4747; Participant Code: 81822150) Successful award recipients of the Rural Health Network Planning Program will receive up to $100,000 for a one-year period to conduct planning activities that support at least one of the following: - Achieve efficiencies. Focus on identifying ways to achieve better system efficiencies and improve regional and/or local rural health care services through collaboration, access to additional services, and quality improvement.
- Expand access to, coordinate, and improve the quality of basic health care services. Focus on ways to build capacity and a network infrastructure that enables entities to coordinate care and increase access to care for rural communities both locally and regionally.
- Strengthen the rural health care system as a whole. Focus on ways to enhance community and partner relationships to promote involvement and participation in network planning activities aiming to strengthen the rural health care system.
The eligibility criteria for this program includes all domestic public and private, nonprofit and for-profit entities with demonstrated experience serving, or the capacity to serve, rural underserved populations. Urban-based organizations applying as the lead applicant should ensure there is a high degree of rural control in the project. Tribes and tribal organizations under the same tribal governance must still meet the consortium criteria of three or more entities, but are only required to have a single Employer Identification Number (EIN) located in a HRSA-designated rural area to be eligible. Applicant organizations that share the same EIN as its parent organization, or organizations with the same network who are proposing different projects, are eligible to apply by requesting an exception request. In FY 2021, HRSA awarded over $1.9 million for Rural Health Network Development Planning Program (Network Planning) grants to assist in the development of an integrated health care network, specifically network participants who do not have a history of formal collaborative efforts. Current FY 21 Network Planning grant recipients may not apply for this funding opportunity if they have previously received a Network Planning grant for the same or similar project unless the entity is proposing to expand the scope of the project or the area that will be served through the project. Please note that applicant organization must represent a network that includes at least three or more health care provider organizations and, at least 66% (or two-thirds) of network members must be located in a HRSA-designated rural area. To learn more about the Network Planning Program click here. For more information about this funding opportunity, contact the Program Coordinator Nkem Osian at nosian@hrsa.gov. | 
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