By Amber Walker, Grants Development Associate (Healthcare)
A major trend in healthcare funding is establishing equity in access to services. This is being realized through service expansions to medically underserved and rural areas across the country. Federal entities, such as the Center for Disease Control and Health Resources Services Administration, the State Offices of Rural Health, and an increasing number of Private and Corporate Foundations are making commitments to support rural health. The rural population is a particular focus for many grant opportunities because of its vulnerability and potential lack of resources, including an increasing number of rural hospital closures. Rural communities have special considerations like high rates of poverty, high rates of maternal and infant mortality, high rates of opioid use and rates of death from substance misuse, healthcare insurance status, and overall access to health services that need to be accommodated. Funders are not only focusing on the symptoms but also the root causes of health disparities. Social determinants of health are non-medical factors that influence and affect health outcomes. Things like access to education, healthy food, education, housing, and other outside forces shape how individuals receive care.
There is a significant focus on strengthening overall health networks in rural areas. Grants like the Rual Healthcare Services Outreach Program and the Delta Health Systems Implementation Program administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration aim to improve population health outcomes. The Rural Healthcare Services Outreach Program does so by supporting the development of consortiums delivering services in rural areas and the Delta Health Systems Implementation Program does so through intensive, multi-year technical assistance to eligible healthcare facilities located in the Mississippi Delta Region.
To address some of the special considerations for rural populations mentioned above, the Health Resources and Service Administration has developed a series of grants forecasted to be available fall 2024 and early 2025. The Rural Communities Opioid Response Program-Overdose Response will support prevention efforts, treatments and recovery services for the substance use disorder crisis in rural areas. The tragic rise of maternal and infant mortality, especially in rural communities, has influenced the creation of Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies Program. The purpose of this program is to improve access to and delivery of maternity and obstetrics care in rural areas.
Rural specific grant opportunities at the state level are becoming more common as well. Grants like the Rural Hospital Innovation Grant administered by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Texas Rural Hospital Broadband Infrastructure Program administered by the Texas Department of Agriculture are two examples of how states are alleviating some of the financial burden felt by rural hospitals. Opportunities such as these help rural hospitals to deliver the best care to their patients and communities.
Foundations are another avenue for rural facilities to find relief. Entities like the Centene Foundation have established grant programs that are available to nonprofits working in the areas of healthcare access including social determinants of health, social services, or education as it relates to health.
There are many more online resources to further your search for rural community funding opportunities at the federal, state and foundation level. One of the most comprehensive sites that rural organizations can leverage is ruralhealthinfo.org. This website provides an extensive list of active rural health funding opportunities and other useful information for grant seeking organizations, such as a complete list of state office of rural health websites and contact information. If your organization is interested in learning about rurality and eligibility for federal rural health opportunities, you can visit