WASHINGTON, May 3, 2012- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is providing more than $10.4 million to rural health providers for health care needs in rural areas, including health promotion, disease prevention and oral and mental health services.
“Access to quality and affordable health care should not be determined by where you live,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “These grants are a continuation of our effort to ensure that rural providers are able to meet the needs of their communities.”
Each of 70 grantees will receive approximately $450,000 over a 3-year project period to address the needs of a wide range of population groups including, but not limited to, low-income families and individuals, the elderly, pregnant women, infants, adolescents, minorities and individuals with special health care needs. Funding is distributed through HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the primary federal agency for improving health care access for people who are uninsured, isolated or medically vulnerable.
“Rural areas face unique issues and challenges,” said HRSA Administrator Mary Wakefield, Ph.D., R.N. “But that makes them ideal for developing innovative solutions and creating models that can be replicated elsewhere. As rural communities forge these systemic improvements, they set an example for the delivery of high quality health care regardless of where one lives across the United States.”
The list of grant recipients follows: