OpportunityTitle: Rural Network Allied Health Training Program
CategoryExplanation: https://grants.hrsa.gov/webExternal/SFO.asp?ID=8a3ccedb-c206-47da-b651-eb7ccfefd0e2
AdditionalInformationOnEligibility: a)&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; Ownership and Geographic Requirements:    Applicants for the Rural Network Allied Health Training Program must meet the ownership and geographic requirements stated below. (Note:&#160; If an incorporated network does not apply on behalf of its members, the award will be made to only one member of the network that will be the grantee of record and only that organization needs to meet the eligibility criteria.):   1)&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; The lead applicant organization must be a public or private non-profit entity located in a rural area or in a rural census tract of an urban county, and all services must be provided in a rural county or census tract.&#160; The applicant&#191;s EIN number should verify it is a rural entity.&#160; To ascertain rural eligibility, please refer to: http://datawarehouse.hrsa.gov/RuralAdvisor/ and enter the applicant organization&#191;s state and county.&#160; A network serving rural communities but whose applicant organization is not in a designated rural area will not be considered for funding under this announcement.&#160; Rural faith-based and community-based organizations, Tribes, and tribal organizations are eligible to apply.   2)&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; In addition to the several States, only Guam, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau may apply. &#160;If applicants are located outside the 50 states, they still have to meet the rural eligibility requirements.
Description: This announcement solicits applications for the Rural Network Allied Health Training Program (Allied Health Training). The Rural Network Allied Health Training Program is a pilot program that will support the development of formal, mature[1] rural health networks that focus on activities that achieve efficiencies, expand access to, coordinate and improve the quality of essential health care services, and strengthen the rural health care system as a whole. In this project, it is anticipated that this purpose will be achieved through the recruitment, clinical training, and retention of allied health professionals. This program will further support integrated rural health networks that can partner with local community colleges and other accredited educational institutions (such as vocational and technical colleges) to develop formal clinical training programs. These formal training programs will target enrolled rural allied health professional students, to include displaced workers and veterans, in completing a rural, community-based clinical training rotation and obtaining eventual employment with a rural health care provider. Applicants will be required to focus their efforts to recruit, train, and retain allied health professionals from at least one of the following discipline categories[2] and associated discipline fields[3]: 1. clinicians &#183; dental hygienists[4] 2. technologists and technicians &#183; diagnostic imaging technologists (sonography, radiology, etc.) &#183; medical/clinical laboratory technicians &#183; paramedics[5] and community paramedics[6],[7] &#183; pharmacy technicians &#183; psychiatric/mental/behavioral health technicians 3. other allied health &#183; physical therapy assistants &#183; occupational therapy assistants The Allied Health Training program goals are as follows: 1. Improving the viability of the network partners by increasing recruitment and retention of allied health professionals within their rural communities and other non-network rural communities; 2. Providing allied health students with training opportunities and experiences within culturally competent, community focused rural hospitals/clinics, which will build and reinforce ties within these rural communities; 3. Establishing a replicable model network approach to training allied health students in rural areas; 4. Expanding the uptake of industry-validated credentials that are competency based, empowering job seekers and reducing barriers to hiring; and 5. Establishing partnerships between the network and community organizations that can serve as an ongoing vehicle for addressing workforce challenges. These networks can focus on a variety of different activities related to the recruitment, training, and retention of allied health professionals. [1] The definition of mature is located in the Other Information Section VIII.4. [2] The U.S. Health Workforce Chartbook. (2013). Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis. Available at: http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/healthworkforce/supplydemand/usworkforce/chartbook/index.html. [3] This list of allied health disciplines is not exhaustive. ORHP conducted an informal needs assessment to determine existing gaps for various allied health disciplines in rural areas and the key employment needs by rural health provider type. [4] Dental hygienists are generally not allowed to practice without a dentist on site. There may be a few state exceptions: https://www.adha.org/resources-docs/7513_Direct_Access_to_Care_from_DH.pdf. Applicants should verify and address this issue, if applicable, within the Needs Assessment of the Project Narrative Section IV.2.ii. [5] As based on the National Paramedic (NRP) Certification through the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians: https://www.nremt.org/. [6] Community paramedics are paramedics trained to provide more general medical services that address specific community needs: http://www.naemt.org/Libraries/Community%20Paramedicine/Urgent%20Matters-Innovations-What%20is%20CP%200513.sflb. [7] Applicants will be required to verify as a condition of award that community paramedicine is allowed by state scope of practice, statue and/or regulation, that there is an internationally standardized community paramedicine educational program provided by a local accredited college or university, and that there are available employment opportunities for community paramedics within rural parts of the state. Include this information in Attachment 15 for reviewers to accurately assess applicant need.
GrantorContactEmailDescription: Contact Marcia Colburn at ((30)1) -443- Ext. 3261 or email MGreen@hrsa.gov
GrantorContactText: Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, HRSA Grants Application Center, 910 Clopper Road, Suite 155 South, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878&lt;br/&gt;MGreen@hrsa.gov&lt;br/&gt;