HHS directing about $1 billion from American Rescue Plan for rural COVID-19 response
More vaccines will be sent to rural communities, which will have an opportunity to strengthen their testing and prevention capabilities.
(Photo by filadendron/Getty Images)
As part of the American Rescue Plan, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will make $1 billion available to strengthen the COVID-19 response and vaccination efforts in rural communities.
The initiative means that the Health Resources and Services Administration, a part of the HHS, will increase the number of vaccines sent to rural communities, expand testing and other COVID-19 prevention services, and work to increase vaccine confidence by partnering with local voices and community organizations.
HRSA's Rural Health Clinic COVID-19 Testing and Mitigation Program will provide $460 million to more than 4,600 rural health clinics (RHCs) across the country. RHCs will use the funds to maintain and increase COVID-19 testing, expand access to testing for rural residents, and broaden efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus in community-specific ways.
RHCs are a special certification given to healthcare practices in underserved rural areas by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to help ensure access to care for rural residents. HRSA will provide up to $100,000 per RHC-certified clinic site and will issue the funds this summer.
WHAT'S THE IMPACT?
To further support COVID-19 testing in rural areas, HRSA will provide $398 million to existing grantees of the Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP) to work with about 1,730 small rural hospitals (those with fewer than 50 beds) and critical access hospitals on COVID-19 testing and mitigation.
SHIP state grantees will use the funding to support all eligible rural hospitals, at up to $230,000 per hospital, and will issue the funds later in the year.
HRSA will also support RHCs to increase the availability of COVID-19 vaccines in rural communities, and expand outreach to build vaccine confidence. Working in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HRSA is inviting Medicare-certified RHCs to join the new Rural Health Clinic COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Program (RHCVD) to directly receive vaccines from the Biden Administration.
HRSA and CDC will continue to enroll interested RHCs to receive COVID-19 vaccines, the allocation for which is separate from these jurisdictions' weekly allocations.
Also through the RHCVC Program, HRSA will make nearly $100 million available in grants to eligible RHCs nationwide to address health equity gaps by offering support and resources to medically underserved rural communities where COVID-19 vaccine uptake lags in comparison to more populated areas. HRSA will fund all eligible RHCs that apply. The RHCVC Program is the first targeted RHC grant since the passage of the Rural Health Clinic Service Act in 1977.
Ostensibly, RHCs will be able to use the funds to increase vaccine confidence, improve healthcare in rural areas and reinforce key messages about prevention and treatment of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. Implementation efforts in rural communities will include disseminating information to rural residents about how and where to get vaccinated, and coordinating with existing vaccination sites and public health partners to identify strategies to increase vaccine confidence among key populations.
RHCs may also use funding to promote vaccination and bolster patient literacy in rural areas on the benefits of broad vaccination and vaccine safety.
THE LARGER TREND: A COMMUNITY-BASED WORKFORCE
Also on Tuesday, HHS announced the availability of about $250 million to develop and support a community-based workforce, which will share information about vaccines, increase COVID-19 vaccine confidence, and address barriers to vaccination for those living in vulnerable and medically underserved communities.
The purpose behind this funding is to help community-based organizations hire and mobilize community outreach workers, community health workers, social support specialists and others to conduct on-the-ground outreach to educate and assist people in obtaining vaccine information. The goal is to also help them make vaccine appointments, and assist with transportation and other needs to get patients to each of their vaccination appointments.
The first of two funding opportunities was released this week. About 10 award recipients will be funded to engage with multiple organizations regionally and locally, which includes engaging with community-based organizations, health centers, minority-serving institutions, and other health and social service entities. The second funding opportunity will be released in the near future and will focus on smaller community-based organizations.
Twitter: @JELagasse
Email the writer: jeff.lagasse@himssmedia.com
