The Health Resources and Services Administration’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) has issued a funding opportunity announcement under the Rural HIV/AIDS Planning Program to assist in the development of an integrated rural HIV health network for HIV care and treatment that will collaboratively plan to address key strategies identified in Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America (EHE). Rural public and rural nonprofit private health care provider organizations or providers of health care services in the seven states (Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and South Carolina) prioritized in the first phase of EHE because of a substantial number of HIV diagnoses in rural areas are eligible to apply.

Up to $1 million is available to support up to ten $100,000 one-year awards. Applications are due by July 10, 2020, with an anticipated project start of September 1, 2020.

FORHP is offering a technical assistance webinar for applicants on Thursday, May 21,2020, from 1:00 – 2:00 PM (ET). Access the webinar via this weblinkExit Disclaimer or via this call-in number: 1-888-989-6492, Participant Code: 3641731.

HRSA defines a rural HIV health network (also called consortium) as an organizational arrangement among at least three separately owned regional or local health care providers that come together to develop strategies for improving health services delivery systems in a community. Health networks can be an effective strategy to help smaller rural health care providers and health care service organizations align resources, achieve economies of scale and efficiencies, collaboratively address challenges, and create impactful, innovative solutions.

The Rural HIV/AIDS Planning program offers rural health care providers the opportunity to collaborate on a plan to address community HIV needs, gaps, and challenges, including issues related to the need for early diagnosis, comprehensive care that includes support services such as transportation, substance use treatment, innovative service delivery models with the goal of improving health outcomes among people with HIV, addressing stigma, and reducing the number of new HIV infections. The intent is for rural HIV health networks to expand access to HIV care, increase the use of health information technology such as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data to care models, use telemedicine models for training and care, partner with Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) recipients, explore innovative health care delivery models, and continue to promote quality health care across the continuum of care.

For more information on eligibility and other requirements as well as the application, visit HRSA’s grants page.

The Federal Office of Rural Health Policy has coordinated activities related to rural health care within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the past 30 years. Part of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), FORHP has department-wide responsibility for analyzing the possible effects of policy on the 57 million residents of rural communities and provides grant funding at the state and local levels to improve access, quality and financing for rural health care. FORHP administers grant programs designed to build health care capacity at both the local and state levels.