July 3, 2023

Reminder: Funding Opportunity for the Healthy Start Initiative – Enhanced (HRSA-23-130) Closes July 17

The final date for applications to the Healthy Start Initiative – Enhance (HRSA-23-130) is July 17. The purpose of HSE is to improve health outcomes before, during, and after pregnancy and reduce the well-documented racial/ethnic differences in rates of infant death and adverse perinatal outcomes.

HSE is intended to support projects in diverse communities and populations (e.g., rural, urban, non-Hispanic Black, American Indian/Alaskan Native [AI/AN]) experiencing the greatest disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes.

HSE has two focus areas:

• Providing direct and enabling services (e.g., screening and referrals, case management and care coordination, health and parenting education, and linkage to clinical care to enrolled HSE participants
• Convening Community Consortia comprised of diverse multi-sector partners that advise and inform HSE activities and develop and implement plans to improve perinatal outcomes within the selected project area.

The program also provides recipients with increased flexibility to customize interventions to meet the unique needs of their target population.

The goals of HSE are to:

• Continue reducing infant mortality rates (IMR) in the U.S., and
• Decrease disparities in infant mortality (IM) across racial/ethnic groups by achieving steeper declines for groups with the highest infant mortality rates (e.g., non-Hispanic Black and AI/AN infants).

HSE projects should be implemented in communities experiencing high rates of maternal and infant mortality and morbidity that do not already have access to Healthy Start Services. Successful HSE projects will implement program activities in new project areas and accomplish the following objectives during the 5-year period of performance:

• Direct and Enabling Services for HSE Participants ·
• Increase receipt of case management and care coordination to facilitate access to medical care and community-based resources. ·
• Increase uptake of healthy behaviors before, during, and after pregnancy. · Increase use of safe infant care practices.
• Community Consortium · Convene diverse, multi-sector state, local, and community level partners, including HSE participants and other community members, that will: ·
  • Advise and inform strategies for providing direct and enabling services to HSE participants. ·
• Develop cross-sector partnerships to ensure access for HSE participants to
  • Coordinated, comprehensive maternal, child, and family medical care;
  • health and parenting education;
  • and community-based resources that address social determinants of health within the project area. ·
• Participate in Communities of Practice with other HSE projects to develop and implement a strategic plan for the community that focuses on at least one social determinant of health.

Who Can Apply:

• Domestic public or private entities
• Domestic faith-based and community-based organizations
• Tribes and tribal organizations

Recipients of Healthy Start Initiative: Eliminating Disparities in Perinatal Health (HRSA-19-049) 13 are only eligible to apply for this grant if a new project area, not currently funded by your existing grant, is proposed. If overlapping areas are proposed, your application will be deemed ineligible and not considered. This provision ensures that new communities with the highest rates of maternal and infant mortality and morbidity that do not already have access to Healthy Start services are reached by this program.

Have Questions? Contact:

Mia Morrison, MPH

MCHBHealthyStart@hrsa.gov

(301) 443-2521

 Applications due July 17, 2023

For more information watch the June 7, 2023 Healthy Start Initiative Enhanced TA Webinar

Get answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about this funding

Review Priority Points table (PDF-142 KB) to see if a county in your project area is eligible for Priority Points

Apply Now

June 30, 2023

Top 5 FAQs – Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention (NEPQR) – Simulation Education Training (SET) Program (HRSA-23-129)

The Health Resources Services Administration has provided the top 5 frequently asked questions related to the Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention (NEPQR) Simulation Education Training (SET) Program (HRSA-23-120).

Q1: Can current SET grantees apply to this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)?

A:  Yes. Current NEPQR-SET grantees may apply. However, note the changes and requirements of the current NOFO. Your application must reflect the noted goals, objectives, and requirements.

Q2: Do interprofessional collaborative agreements have to be currently established or can they be established as part of this project?

A:   Any academic, practice, and community partnerships may be established or enhanced with the funding of this program. The applicant should provide any documents that describe working relationships via a letter of commitment/letter of support between the applicant organization and other entities and programs cited in the proposal.

Q3: Can students from other disciplines (PT, OT, PA, MD etc.) participate in the simulation activities funded by this grant if it is in an interprofessional setting with nursing students?

A:   Yes. Simulation based training must include collaborative interprofessional team based care.

Q4: Is application eligibility limited to programs with national accreditation or is approval from our state Board of Nursing sufficient?

A:   Schools of nursing must be accredited by a recognized body or by a state agency approved by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.

Q5: Are two-year associate degree nursing programs and diploma programs eligible?

A:   Eligible applicants include:

• • Accredited schools of nursing
  • Health care facilities, including federally qualified health centers or nurse managed health centers
  • A partnership of such a school and facility

In addition:

• • Domestic community-based organizations, tribes, and tribal organizations are also eligible to apply if otherwise eligible.
  • Diploma school of nursing affiliated with a hospital or university, or an independent school, which provides primarily or exclusively a program of education in professional nursing and allied subjects leading to a diploma or to equivalent are eligible, only if such program, or such affiliated school or such hospital or university or such independent school is accredited.
  • For profit entities are NOT eligible.

More questions?
Check out the full list of FAQs and Technical Assistance Webinar recording.

Applications accepted until 11:59 p.n. ET on July 3, 2023