HHS Announces $60 Million for Rural Healthcare

Aug. 10, 2022

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Health Resources and Services Administration, announced a nearly $60 million investment to increase the health workforce and access to healthcare in rural areas

Janette Wider

According to an Aug. 8 press release, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), announced investments of approximately $60 million to grow the health workforce and increase access to healthcare in rural communities, including nearly $46 million in funding from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan.

The release states that “Nearly $46 million in American Rescue Plan funding will support 31 awardees to expand healthcare capacity in rural and tribal communities through healthcare job development, training, and placement. This funding includes support for critical health workforce needs in rural areas such as dental hygienists, medical or dental assistants, community-based doulas, and other frontline healthcare workers.”

Moreover, “Nearly $10 million will support 13 organizations through the Rural Residency Planning and Development Program to establish new medical residency programs in rural communities to increase the number of physicians training in rural settings. In addition, nearly $4 million will support 18 awards to improve patient health outcomes and quality and delivery of care throughout rural counties and improve access to care for rural veterans.”

The release adds that almost one in five Americans lives in a rural area and that communities in rural areas are becoming more diverse. Yet, health disparities between rural and urban areas remain and have, in fact, tripled between 1999 and 2019. Residents of rural areas experience higher rates of heart disease, respiratory disease, cancer, stroke, unintentional injury, and suicide. These individuals are also at a higher risk of maternal morbidity and mortality.

The release says that HRSA’s investments are through the following programs:

“The Rural Public Health Workforce Training Network Program is awarding nearly $46 million to 31 community-based organizations to expand public health clinical and operational capacity through workforce development. Additionally, a technical assistance provider was awarded $500,000 to strengthen the ability for these networks to develop formal training and certification programs.
The Rural Residency Planning and Development Program is awarding $9.7 million to 13 organizations to establish new rural residency programs in rural communities to train resident physicians in rural clinical settings.
The Small Health Care Provider Quality Improvement Program is awarding $2.9 million to 15 community-based organizations improve patient health outcomes and quality and delivery of care throughout rural counties.
The Rural Veterans Health Access Program is awarding nearly $1 million to 3 organizations to improve access to healthcare services for veterans living in rural areas. This program is a collaboration between FORHP and the Veterans Health Administration to strengthen partnerships between rural health providers and the VA system.”

The full list of recipients can be accessed here.

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra was quoted in the release saying that “The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring all Americans have access to high-quality, affordable healthcare—no matter where anyone lives. Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, we have significantly improved access to healthcare for the millions of families who live in rural America. Our work doesn’t stop here: with these funds, we can continue working to ensure rural communities have the support they need.”