SORH Announcements for Network Planning and Network Development Awards

July 11, 2017

Rural Health Network Development Planning Program – July 1. The Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) will award approximately $2.3 million to 23 awardees for the 2017 Rural Health Network Development Planning Program (Network Planning). This is a one-year, community-driven program designed to assist in the planning and development of an integrated health care network at the local level. By emphasizing the role of networks, the program creates a platform for medical care providers, social service providers, and community organizations to coalesce key elements of a rural health care delivery system for the purpose of improving local capacity and coordination of care.

The Network Planning program will aid providers as they move from focusing on the volume of services to focusing on the value of services. For grantees, the award (of up to $100,000) provides an opportunity to implement new and innovative approaches towards a dynamic health care environment that may in turn serve as a model for other rural communities. The incoming cohort of Network Planning grantees have projects that focus on behavioral health, care coordination, infrastructure, health information technology, and health education. Additionally, four projects are proposing to address the loss of local health and/or social services as a result of a recent rural hospital closure or conversion and/or loss of ambulatory services.

Historically, grantees been successful in leveraging finances by using FORHP grants to sustain their efforts; they have been able to combine federal funds with local and foundation dollars to support the continuation and development of health care services in rural areas. Organizations have innovatively expanded their programs to serve different populations and regions while ensuring that their programs align with the current health care landscape.

As FORHP continues to focus on showcasing program outcomes, the identification and dissemination of rural evidence-based models maintains as a priority. The Rural Community Health Gateway, located on The Rural Health Information Hub (RHIhub) consists of a number of resources, including successful program models and evidence-based toolkits.

If you have any questions about the program, please contact Sara Afayee:  SAfayee@hrsa.gov or 301-945-4169.

Rural Health Network Development ProgramJuly 1.  The Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) is pleased to announce that the Rural Health Network Development (Network Development) Program will award approximately $45 million total funding to 51 mature rural health networks during the 2017 – 2020 cohort.  The goal of the Network Development Program is to assist rural healthcare providers in acclimating to the evolving healthcare environment by addressing the unique healthcare challenges of the rural community. The current 2017 – 2020 RHND cohort places a strong emphasis on the inclusion of non-traditional healthcare partners in order to address population health management and the transition towards value based payment. Networks have identified behavioral health, care coordination, community health workers, health information technology, telehealth, workforce, and quality improvement as the most needed areas for cross-sector collaboration to increase access and quality of health care within the targeted community.

The Network Development program continues to encourage grantees to create innovative, sustainable programs that demonstrate community impact and can serve as a model of innovation for rural and urban communities. The Federal Office of Rural Health Policy is truly grateful for the work that the State Offices of Rural Health have been doing to help rural communities build sustainable health care delivery systems. As we continue to collaborate on how we can help communities improve quality and access to healthcare within their communities, we hope that you will reach out to the grantees within your state to let them know about the resources and support you can provide them to help achieve their goals.

Historically, grantees been successful in leveraging finances by using FORHP grants to sustain their efforts; they have been able to combine federal funds with local and foundation dollars to support the continuation and development of health care services in rural areas. Organizations have innovatively expanded their programs to serve different populations and regions while ensuring that their programs align with the current health care landscape.

As FORHP continues to focus on showcasing program outcomes, the identification and dissemination of rural evidence-based models maintains as a priority. The Rural Community Health Gateway, located on The Rural Health Information Hub (RHIhub) consists of a number of resources, including successful program models and evidence-based toolkits.

If you have any questions about the program, please contact Jayne Berube:  JBerube@hrsa.gov or 301-443-4281.