Sunday, March 3, 2013

HRSA Solicits Applications for FOA

On February 15th, HRSA’s Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) released the FY 2013 “Rural Health Information Technology Workforce Program Announcement (HRSA-13-251). This program supports formal rural health networks that focus on activities related to the recruitment, education, training, and retention of health IT specialists.

The funded projects must include rural health networks in a position to partner with accredited rural or rural-serving educational institutions that may include a community, technical, or vocational college.

The rural health networks must be capable of providing materials to use for health IT formal training to present to current healthcare staff, local displaced workers, rural residents, veterans, and other potential students.

The formal training will help develop more health IT workers to help rural hospitals and clinics implement and maintain EHRs, telehealth, and home monitoring. Mobile health technology training is needed on how to meet EHR meaningful use standards.

The program will provide funding during FY 2013-2015. Approximately $4,500,000 is expected to be available annually to fund between 1-15 grantees. Applicants may apply for a ceiling amount of up to $300,000 per year with the project to last three years.

The closing date for applications is April 15, 2013. For more information, go to www.grants.gov. For questions, email Janice Mompoint, Public Health Analyst, ORHP at JMompoint@hrsa.gov or call (301) 443-8344.