The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated more than $500 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) funding to serve rural communities across the country through the USDA Emergency Rural Health Care Grant program.
The program is split into two tracks, both of which focus on broadening access to rural health care services as well as nutritional assistance, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eligible projects must be located in, and primarily serve, rural communities that serve no more than 20,000 residents as determined by the last U.S. Census Data. Counties are among the eligible applicants and are encouraged to begin their application soon as the initial deadline for both tracks is Oct. 12, 2021.
Track one provides recovery grants that provide immediate relief to healthcare and economic conditions that have arisen due to the COVID-19 emergency. Recovery funds must be used to support these immediate health care needs, to prepare for future pandemic events or to increase access to health care services and improve community health as a whole. Eligible expenses include those expenses incurred on or after March 13, 2020. Applications will be accepted on a continual basis until funds are exhausted, with the state Rural Development offices beginning their initial review of applications submitted on Oct. 12, 2021.
Awards range from $25,000 to $1 million, with funding to be directed toward projects that fall under any of the following categories:
- Increase capacity for vaccine distribution
- Provide medical supplies and equipment to increase medical surge capacity
- Reimburse for lost health care related-revenue used to maintain capacity during the pandemic
- Increase telehealth capabilities, including underlying healthcare information systems
- Construct temporary or permanent structures to provide health care services
- Support staffing needs for testing or vaccine administration
- Support facilities, equipment, and operating expenses associated with food banks and food distribution facilities
Track two provides impact grants for improving and supporting the long-term sustainability of rural health care. Applicants may request assistance for qualified projects (listed below), for expenses incurred during a three-year award period. All track two applications must be received by Oct. 12, 2021.
Awards range from $5-10 million, with funding to be directed toward projects that fall under any of the following categories:
- Establish or scale a regional partnership or group of community and health care leaders to plan, implement, and evaluate models to help solve regional health care problems and promote the long-term sustainability of rural health care
- Establish or scale evidence-based models and share lessons learned
- Identify a health-related problem within a region, develop and implement a method and solution, and conduct a program evaluation to examine health related outcomes, long-term sustainability, and ability to successfully replicate
Grant funds are limited to an applicable percentage of eligible product costs based on population and median household income of the served population for both tracks. Applications will be selected based on a priority point system.
For more information, and to apply for USDA Emergency Rural Health Care Grants, click here.
