§ 254c. Rural health care services outreach, rural health network development, and small health care provider quality improvement grant programs

4,709 words·~21 min read·/usc/title-42/section-254c

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(a)Purpose The purpose of this section is to provide grants for expanded delivery of health care services in rural areas, for the planning and implementation of integrated health care networks in rural areas, and for the planning and implementation of small health care provider quality improvement activities.

(b)Definitions

(1)Director The term “Director” means the Director specified in subsection (d).

(2)Federally qualified health center; rural health clinic The terms “Federally qualified health center” and “rural health clinic” have the meanings given the terms in section 1395x(aa) of this title.

(3)Health professional shortage area The term “health professional shortage area” means a health professional shortage area designated under section 254e of this title.

(4)Medically underserved community The term “medically underserved community” has the meaning given the term in section 295p(6) of this title.

(5)Medically underserved population The term “medically underserved population” has the meaning given the term in section 254b(b)(3) of this title.

(c)Program The Secretary shall establish, under section 241 of this title, a small health care provider quality improvement grant program.

(d)Administration

(1)Programs The rural health care services outreach, rural health network development, and small health care provider quality improvement grant programs established under section 241 of this title shall be administered by the Director of the Office of Rural Health Policy of the Health Resources and Services Administration, in consultation with State offices of rural health or other appropriate State government entities.

(2)Grants

(A)In general In carrying out the programs described in paragraph (1), the Director may award grants under subsections (e), (f), and

(g)to expand access to, coordinate, and improve the quality of basic health care services, and enhance the delivery of health care, in rural areas.

(B)Types of grants The Director may award the grants to—

(i)promote expanded delivery of health care services in rural areas under subsection (e);

(ii)provide for the planning and implementation of integrated health care networks in rural areas under subsection (f); and

(iii)provide for the planning and implementation of small health care provider quality improvement activities under subsection (g).

(e)Rural health care services outreach grants

(1)Grants The Director may award grants to eligible entities to promote rural health care services outreach by improving and expanding the delivery of health care services to include new and enhanced services in rural areas, through community engagement and evidence-based or innovative, evidence-informed models. The Director may award the grants for periods of not more than 5 years.

(2)Eligibility To be eligible to receive a grant under this subsection for a project, an entity shall—

(A)be an entity with demonstrated experience serving, or the capacity to serve, rural underserved populations;

(B)represent a consortium composed of members that—

(i)include 3 or more health care providers; and

(ii)may be nonprofit or for-profit entities; and

(C)not previously have received a grant under this subsection for the same or a similar project, unless the entity is proposing to expand the scope of the project or the area that will be served through the project.

(3)Applications To be eligible to receive a grant under this subsection, an eligible entity, in consultation with the appropriate State office of rural health or another appropriate State entity, shall prepare and submit to the Secretary an application, at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require, including—

(A)a description of the project that the eligible entity will carry out using the funds provided under the grant;

(B)a description of the manner in which the project funded under the grant will meet the health care needs of rural underserved populations in the local community or region to be served;

(C)a description of how the rural underserved populations in the local community or region to be served will be involved in the development and ongoing operations of the project;

(D)a plan for sustaining the project after Federal support for the project has ended;

(E)a description of how the project will be evaluated; and

(F)other such information as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.

(f)Rural health network development grants

(1)Grants

(A)In general The Director may award rural health network development grants to eligible entities to plan, develop, and implement integrated health care networks that collaborate in order to—

(i)achieve efficiencies;

(ii)expand access to, coordinate, and improve the quality of basic health care services and associated health outcomes; and

(iii)strengthen the rural health care system as a whole.

(B)Grant periods The Director may award grants under this subsection for periods of not more than 5 years.

(2)Eligibility To be eligible to receive a grant under this subsection, an entity shall—

(A)be an entity with demonstrated experience serving, or the capacity to serve, rural underserved populations;

(B)represent a network composed of participants that—

(i)include 3 or more health care providers; and

(ii)may be nonprofit or for-profit entities; and

(C)not previously have received a grant under this subsection (other than a grant for planning activities) for the same or a similar project.

(A)a description of the project that the eligible entity will carry out using the funds provided under the grant;

(B)an explanation of the reasons why Federal assistance is required to carry out the project;

(C)a description of—

(i)the history of collaborative activities carried out by the participants in the network;

(ii)the degree to which the participants are ready to integrate their functions; and

(iii)how the rural underserved populations in the local community or region to be served will benefit from and be involved in the development and ongoing operations of the network;

(D)a description of how the rural underserved populations in the local community or region to be served will experience increased access to quality health care services across the continuum of care as a result of the integration activities carried out by the network;

(E)a plan for sustaining the project after Federal support for the project has ended;

(F)a description of how the project will be evaluated; and

(G)other such information as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.

(g)Small health care provider quality improvement grants

(1)Grants The Director may award grants to provide for the planning and implementation of small health care provider quality improvement activities, including activities related to increasing care coordination, enhancing chronic disease management, and improving patient health outcomes. The Director may award the grants for periods of 1 to 5 years.

(2)Eligibility To be eligible for a grant under this subsection, an entity shall—

(i)be a rural public or rural nonprofit private health care provider or provider of health care services, such as a critical access hospital or a rural health clinic; or

(ii)be another rural provider or network of small rural providers identified by the Secretary as a key source of local or regional care; and

(B)not previously have received a grant under this subsection for the same or a similar project.

(3)Applications To be eligible to receive a grant under this subsection, an eligible entity, in consultation with the appropriate State office of rural health or another appropriate State entity shall prepare and submit to the Secretary an application, at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require, including—

(A)a description of the project that the eligible entity will carry out using the funds provided under the grant;

(B)an explanation of the reasons why Federal assistance is required to carry out the project;

(C)a description of the manner in which the project funded under the grant will assure continuous quality improvement in the provision of services by the entity;

(E)a plan for sustaining the project after Federal support for the project has ended;

(F)a description of how the project will be evaluated; and

(G)other such information as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.

(4)Expenditures for small health care provider quality improvement grants In awarding a grant under this subsection, the Director shall ensure that the funds made available through the grant will be used to provide services to residents of rural areas. The Director shall award not less than 50 percent of the funds made available under this subsection to providers located in and serving rural areas.

(h)General requirements

(1)Prohibited uses of funds An entity that receives a grant under this section may not use funds provided through the grant—

(A)to build or acquire real property; or

(B)for construction.

(2)Coordination with other agencies The Secretary shall coordinate activities carried out under grant programs described in this section, to the extent practicable, with Federal and State agencies and nonprofit organizations that are operating similar grant programs, to maximize the effect of public dollars in funding meritorious proposals.

(3)Preference In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary, as appropriate, shall give preference to entities that—

(A)are located in health professional shortage areas or medically underserved communities, or serve medically underserved populations; or

(B)propose to develop projects with a focus on primary care, and wellness and prevention strategies.

(i)Report Not later than 4 years after March 27, 2020, and every 5 years thereafter, the Secretary shall prepare and submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a report on the activities and outcomes of the grant programs under subsections (e), (f), and (g), including the impact of projects funded under such programs on the health status of rural residents with chronic conditions.

(j)Authorization of appropriations There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $79,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025.

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title III, § 330A, as added Pub. L. 104–299, § 3(a), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3642; amended Pub. L. 107–251, title II, § 201, Oct. 26, 2002, 116 Stat. 1628; Pub. L. 108–163, § 2(b), Dec. 6, 2003, 117 Stat. 2021; Pub. L. 110–355, § 4, Oct. 8, 2008, 122 Stat. 3994; Pub. L. 116–136, div. A, title III, § 3213, Mar. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 370.)