Health Resources and Services Administration Funding, Resources, and Upcoming Webinar

Date: March 23, 2022

Funding

Connecting Kids to Coverage NOFO:  CMS Funding– The Connecting Kids to Coverage HEALTHY KIDS 2022 Outreach and Enrollment Cooperative Agreements program provides funding opportunities to reduce the number of children who are eligible for, but not enrolled in, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and to improve retention of eligible children enrolled in the programs. Applications are due March 28, 2022.  For more information, visit:  https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=337485

2022 NHSC Scholarship Program – The purpose of the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Scholarship Program (SP) is to provide scholarships to students pursuing primary care health professions training in return for a commitment to provide primary health services in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA).

Nurse Corps Scholarship Program – Nurse Corps provides financial support to students accepted to or enrolled in a nursing degree program at an accredited school of nursing in the United States. After graduation from nursing school, recipients serve a minimum two-year commitment at an approved health care facility with a critical shortage of nurses.

The scholarship includes payment of tuition, eligible fees, a monthly stipend for living expenses, and other reasonable educational costs (books, clinical supplies and instruments).

Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies Program (RMOMS) – The purpose of the RMOMS program is to improve access to and continuity of maternal and obstetrics care in rural communities. Applicants are encouraged to propose innovative ways to achieve these goals through an established or formal regional network structure. Applications are due April 5, 2022.  For more information, visit:   https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=336048.

Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) Behavioral Health Care Support – The goal is to improve access to and quality of  Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and other behavioral health care services in rural communities, which includes increasing access to and utilization of prevention, treatment and recovery services to improve the care for those affected by behavioral health conditions, which may include substance use and mental health disorders. Applications are due April 19, 2022. For more information, visit:  https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=334417.

Announcements

Affordable Care Act (ACA) Anniversary

March 23, 2022, marks the twelve-year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Since its enactment on March 23, 2010, the ACA has led to an historic advancement of health equity in the United States. This landmark law improved the health of all Americans, including women and families, kids, older adults, people with disabilities, LGBTQI+ and communities of color. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is holding a weeklong celebration from March 21 through March 25 to highlight the benefits of the ACA and the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to building on its success and making health care a right for all Americans. For more information:  Fact Sheet: Celebrating the Affordable Care Act.

Health Center COVID-19 Vaccination Program

On Monday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recognized the one-year anniversary of the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program, which received funding from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan and has provided COVID-19 vaccines directly to thousands of HRSA-supported health center sites nationwide. To date, HRSA’s continued collaboration over the past year with state and jurisdictional immunization programs such as yours has supported health centers in the administration of more than 20 million vaccines in underserved communities across the country.  

View the press release here and visit the social media links:

National Poison Prevention Week

You are invite to join the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Region 7 in acknowledging National Poison Prevention Week (NPPW)  March 20 – 26, 2022.  NPPW is an opportunity to highlight the dangers of poisonings for people of all ages and promote community involvement in poisoning prevention. HRSA funds 55 poison control centers across the nation and the Poison Help Line (1-800-222-1222).  Over 2,000,000 poisonings occur annually, with nearly 43% of all exposures involving children younger than age 5. Two-thirds of calls to the Poison Help line are successfully resolved over the phone, preventing unnecessary visits to the hospital and reducing medical costs.

You can promote NPPW in your community by downloading our #EveryMinuteCounts social media campaign assets and sharing the information on your social media channels.  

Below are several new video resources that highlight HRSA’s poison prevention messages.

The Save the Poison-Proof Home is a Happy Home video resources remain available on the HRSA Poison Help Website at:

Finally, please also visit the Poison Help program and HRSA’s Poison Help website to learn more. 

Resources/Webinars

Rural facilities may apply now through May 10 to become new sites for the National Health Service Corp (NHSC). As an approved site, the NHSC can assist in your efforts to recruit, hire, and retain clinicians.  Eligibility includes health care sites that that provide outpatient, ambulatory, and primary health care services (medical, dental, and behavioral health) to populations in high-need urban and rural areas. Additional, eligible site types include facilities that provide general substance use disorder treatment, a medication-assisted treatment program, or an opioid treatment program. This year, NHSC-approved sites with an inactive status may also apply to recertify during the open cycle.

Join the National Association of Rural Health Clinics and the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Bureau of Health Workforce on March 23rd at 1:00 pm CT for a special one-hour webinar for rural facilities. During the session, you will learn about the benefits of becoming an NHSC-approved site, like the NHSC loan repayment and scholarship opportunities available to job-seeking primary care trainees and practicing clinicians. Register for the session here.

Please join HRSA’s Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs on a national webinar designed to raise awareness of HRSA grant resources and share opportunities for building capacity and accessing technical assistance in Indian Country. The event, “HRSA Grant Funding and Resources – Stories from Tribal Nations” is scheduled for March 30, 2022, from 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm CT. REGISTER HERE.

HHS Region 7 Virtual Office Hours – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Region 7 invites you to the HHS Region 7 Virtual Office Hours on Wednesday, April 6th, 9:00 am – 9:45 am CT. The Virtual Office Hours will provide partners and stakeholders the networking platform to engage with HHS leadership and subject matter experts to get answers to program and resource questions, request technical assistance and training, and share critical surveillance about emergent local, state, and regional healthcare issues/trends. Among the agencies that are scheduled to be in attendance are the Administration for Children and Families, Administration for Community Living, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. They will be providing a few program updates, followed by a Q&A session.

To register for the office hours, go here.

To help us prepare for the session, please send questions by COB March 30th to Catherine.Satterwhite@hhs.gov.

The evidence-based Count the Kicks stillbirth prevention program invites you to attend a Black Maternal Health Week webinar on the specific topic of stillbirth and racial disparities that persist in birth outcomes. The 90-minute webinar scheduled for April 12 at 12:00 pm CT/1:00 pm EST will cover the History of Black Maternal Health and include a status update on key markers from preconception to maternal mortality and morbidity. Healthy Birth Day, Inc. unveil a white paper that shows the link between stillbirth and maternal mortality and how an early warning system is saving the lives of moms and babies in states where the program is being utilized. Participants will leave with free tools and resources related to the highly effective Count the Kicks stillbirth prevention program, and a discussion on how to change the trajectory improving the lives of Black women and babies. Register today by clicking on this link.

Addressing Meth Use in the Midwest Webinar Series – Use of methamphetamine impacts people across the Midwest in many ways. The HHS Region 7 Harm Reduction Workgroup hosted a series of brief, 30-minute webinars to explore strategies to address meth use, ranging from prevention to treatment and recovery. The Workgroup includes HRSA, OASH, SAMHSA, CMS, ACF, HHS IEA, ACL, and ASPR.  The series included four webinars that were hosted January through March 2022.

To view all sessions in the Addressing Meth Use in the Midwest Webinar Series check out the below links. 

The Advancing Health Equity among Hispanic/Latino Populations Learning Series aimed to identify new strategies and current approaches to improve access to care and reduce health disparities in Hispanic/Latino communities.

To view all sessions in the series check out the below links. Interested in learning more and getting copies of the resources, presentations, and bios in English and Spanish? Contact Nancy Rios at NRios@hrsa.gov.