October 10, 2017
The Federal Office of Rural Health Policy is pleased to announce the release of the notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) HRSA-18-030 for the Rural Health Care Services Outreach Program (Outreach Program). The fundamental goal of the program is to support the expansion of health care service delivery to rural populations by encouraging consortia of health providers to innovatively address their community’s health concerns. Approximately $5 million will be awarded annually for up to 25 awardees during the 2018 – 2021 project period. Applications are due December 6, 2017.
The Outreach Program’s all-encompassing nature allows communities to determine their most pressing health need and, accordingly, the best approach for addressing their identified barriers to health. During this competitive cycle, applicants will have the opportunity to apply for one of two tracks: (1) through the regular Outreach Program track in which the applicant will address any specified health need or focus area, or (2) through a newly created track within the Outreach Program called the Health Improvement Special Project (HISP) which focuses on cardiovascular disease risk. HISP applicants will be required to meet certain requisites as outlined in the NOFO and, if awarded, will utilize the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Heart Age Calculator in order to assess cardiovascular disease risk among their community members by tracking the same subset of individuals throughout the 3-year project period.
Historically, awardees have used funding to establish telehealth services, combat substance abuse, address shortages of mental health services, and prevent lapses in care through care coordination efforts. You can read more about the work of previous awardees on the Rural Health Innovation Hub or by using the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Data Warehouse. You can also learn more about the pioneering work of our current awardees.
For additional information regarding the Rural Health Care Services Outreach Program, please join us for a technical assistance webinar on November 14, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. ET. Additional information about this webinar can be found in the NOFO available through Grants.gov.
If you have any questions about the program or have opportunities for FORHP to present information regarding this funding opportunity, please contact Meriam Mikre: MMikre@hrsa.gov or 301-945-3110.