Sunday, June 13, 2010

More Rural Grants Awarded

Colorado’s Governor Bill Ritter just announced that the Colorado Rural Health Care Grant Council has awarded nearly $1.1 million in their third round of grant funding to help healthcare delivery in rural communities. The Council awarded 28 grants ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 to physical, mental, and oral healthcare providers in 24 counties.

Grantees include Certified Rural Health Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, public health departments, public and private health clinics, oral health clinics, and mental health clinics and support health IT, construction, remodeling projects, equipment, and staff training.

The Colorado Rural Health Care Grant Program was established in August 2007 with funding of $7.5 million from UnitedHealthcare to be distributed over six years. The Colorado Rural Health Center, Colorado’s non-profit State Office of Rural Health administers the grant program.

The Colorado Rural Health Care Grant Council is co-chaired by Colorado’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Ned Calonge and UnitedHealthcare’s Dr. Jacqueline Stiff, Vice President of Health Care Strategies. The Council also includes healthcare consumers, rural healthcare providers, and representatives from the Governor’s Office, and from the Division of Insurance at the Department of Regulatory Agencies, from the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, and from the Department of Local Affairs.