Rural Health Network Development Planning Grant Program

From the Kentucky Office of Rural Health

The Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) is pleased to announce the funding opportunity release of the FY 2014 Rural Health Network Development Planning Grant Program (announcement number: HRSA-14-043).  The purpose of ORHP’s Network Development Planning Program is to assist in the development of an integrated healthcare network.  This program brings together key parts of a rural health care delivery system, particularly those entities that may not have collaborated in the past under a formal relationship.  By working together, rural health providers and organizations can achieve efficiencies, increase capacity and improve the quality of essential health care services over a given geographic area. 

 For the purposes of this grant program, a rural health network is defined as an organizational arrangement among at least three separately owned regional or local health care providers that come together to develop strategies for improving health services delivery systems in a community.  Networks can include a wide range of community partners including social service agencies, faith-based organizations, mental health agencies, charitable organizations, educational institutions, employers, local government agencies or other entities with an interest in a community’s health care system.

Successful applicants may request up to $85,000 for one year to create a foundation for their infrastructure and form a coordinated plan among members to address important regional or local health needs.  Planning activities should reflect how the network will achieve efficiencies, expand access to coordinate, and improve the quality of essential health care services or how the activities will help the network strengthen the rural health care system as a whole.  ORHP expects to fund approximately 15 grantees.

 To access the application, please click on: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html and type in HRSA-14-043 in the funding opportunity box. The deadline to submit an application in www.grants.gov is January 16, 2014.  ORHP strongly recommends that applicants submit their applications prior to the due date to avoid any technological problems. All applications have to be submitted electronically in www.grants.gov, and waiver request to submit a paper copy application will not be accepted.

 There will be a technical assistance call on Tuesday, December 3, 2013 at 1:00 PM EST to assist applicants in preparing their applications. The Adobe Connect webinar and call-in information is as follows:

 Meeting Name:  Rural Health Network Development Planning Program

To join the meeting as a guest: https://hrsa.connectsolutions.com/netplantechast/

Toll-free call in number: 800-475-0512

Participant Passcode for call in number:  5732913

 The purpose of the call is to go over the grant guidance, and to provide any additional or clarifying information that may be necessary regarding the application process. There will be a Q&A session at the end of the call.  While the call is not required, it is highly recommended that anyone who is interested in applying for the Rural Health Network Development Planning Program plan to listen to the call. It is most useful to the applicants when the grant guidance is easily accessible during the call and if questions are written down ahead of time for easy reference.

 Note: You must dial into the conference line to hear the audio portion of the webinar.  No registration is required.  To access the web recording, please email Amber Berrian (aberrian@hrsa.gov). 

 For additional application technical assistance information for this funding opportunity, please see http://www.hrsa.gov/ruralhealth/about/community/rhnetworkplanning.html .

 If you have any further questions about this funding opportunity, please contact Amber Berrian, aberrian@hrsa.gov or 301.443.0845.