Telehealth, Mobile Integrated Health Included in New Federal Rural Grant Programs

The federal government is making up to $500 million in grants available for telehealth, mobile integrated health and other programs that help rural communities access healthcare, nutrition assistance and COVID-19 vaccines.

The money will be distributed through the US Food and Agriculture Department as Emergency Rural Health Care Grants, as either Impact Grants or Recovery Grants.

“(The) USDA is playing a critical role to help rural America build back better and equitably as the nation continues to respond to the pandemic,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in an August 12 press release. “Through the Emergency Rural Health Care Grants, USDA will help rural hospitals and local communities increase access to COVID-19 vaccines and testing, medical supplies, telehealth, and food assistance, and support the construction or renovation of rural health care facilities. These investments will also help improve the long-term viability of rural health care providers across the nation.”

Recovery Grants will go to public groups, non-profits and tribes supporting rural healthcare systems and may be used to increase COVID-19 vaccine distributions and telehealth services, purchase medical supplies, build or improve upon temporary or permanent healthcare structures, replace revenue lost during the pandemic, support staffing needs for vaccine distribution and testing and for operations associated with banks and food distribution facilities.

The USDA expects to issue about $350 million in grants, ranging in size from $25,000 to $1 million, to cover up to 75 percent of eligible project costs based on the population served and that population’s median household income. The grants will be issued until the money runs out.

Impact Grants are focused on long-term projects. They’ll go to regional partnerships, public groups, non-profits and tribes that are tackling regional healthcare issues in response to the pandemic and planning a more sustainable post-pandemic strategy. Grant recipients should aim to:

• develop healthcare systems that offer a blend of behavioral care, primary care and other medical services;
• support healthcare as an anchor institution in small communities; and
• expand telehealth, electronic health data sharing, workforce development, transportation, paramedicine, obstetrics, behavioral health, farmworker health care and cooperative home care.

The USDA plans to issue up to $125 million in three-year Impact Grants, in sizes of between $5 million and $10 million, to cover up to 75 percent of eligible project costs based on the population served and that population’s median household income.