Health clinics are often associated with a hospital or a medical school devoted to the diagnosis and care of outpatients. In rural America, they may be stand-alone entities miles from the closest hospital or hundreds of miles from a medical school. This guide provides general information and resources about rural clinics.
Related Guides
For information regarding financial comparisons between an RHC and an FQHC see HRSA's Comparison of the Rural Health Clinic and Federally Qualified Health Center Programs.
Funding
Business and Industry Guaranteed Loans
Loans to improve, develop, or finance business, industry, and employment and improve the economic and environmental climate in rural communities.
HUD State Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program
Funding for revitalizing neighborhoods, expanding housing, improving community facilities and services, acquiring property such as land and buildings, and improvements to property.
National Health Service Corps Recruitment and Retention Assistance
Assistance for qualifying practice sites in recruiting and retaining community-responsive, culturally competent primary care clinicians.
State and Regional Primary Care Associations (PCA) Cooperative Agreements - Alabama and Pacific Islands
Funding to establish cooperative agreements with state and regional organizations to provide training and technical assistance (T/TA) to potential and existing section 330 health centers.
USAC Rural Health Care Service Discounts
Provides discounts to rural health care providers to obtain Internet and telecommunications access.
USDA Community Facilities Loan and Grant Program
Funding to construct, enlarge, or improve essential community facilities for health care, public safety, and public services in rural areas.
William Randolph Hearst Foundations Health Grants
Supports well-established nonprofit organizations that address important issues within their major areas of interests – education, health, culture, and social service – and that primarily serve large demographic and/or geographic constituencies.
Inactive Funding
Inactive Funding Opportunities -
Lists additional funding programs for this topic that are not currently accepting applications. Programs that are inactive may be offered again in the future.
Regulations, Forms & Other Useful Documents
Comparison of the Rural Health Clinic and Federally Qualified Health Center Programs
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration
Provides a general comparison of the financial
components of the Rural Health Clinic (RHC) and Federally Qualified Health Center
(FQHC) programs under Medicare and Medicaid.
Date: 06 / 2006
Munson Medical Center: Constant Focus on Patient Satisfaction
Author(s): Sharon Silow-Carroll
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
Munson Medical Center, a large non-profit hospital serving patients in 24 primarily rural counties, was identified as providing higher patient satisfaction, as measured by the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey. This case study describes the strategies and factors that contributed to their success.
Date: 12 / 2008
National Health Service Corps Site Reference Guide
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration
Provides clarity on NHSC site eligibility requirements, qualification factors, compliance, roles and responsibilities, as well as a number of other key elements on becoming an NHSC-approved site. Serves as an additional resource to supplement the information contained in the Site Application and the Site Application Instructions.
Date: 03 / 2012
Providing Underserved Patients with Medical Homes: Assessing the Readiness of Safety-Net Health Centers
Author(s): Katie Coleman, Kathryn Phillips
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
Surveys safety-net health centers (public hospitals and clinics, federally qualified health centers, rural health centers, and free clinics for the medically underserved) to determine their potential to become patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs).
Date: 05 / 2010
Rural Community Health Centers: Building Creative Partnerships to Meet the Workforce Challenge
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
Reports on the second meeting of the National Rural Task Force making recommendations to the NRHA the special needs of rural providers and to promote the long term growth and substance or rural health centers.
Date: 07 / 2008
Organizations
American College of Small or Rural Healthcare (ACSRH)
National organization
Part of the American Academy of Medical Administrators (AAMA). A shared interest group that focuses on the special needs and interests of small or rural healthcare organizations.
Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU)
National organization
A nonprofit, transdisciplinary organization of clinicians, advocates, and health care organizations working to improve the health of America's underserved populations and to enhance the development and support of the medical and dental clinicians serving these populations.
Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC)
Federal government
Supports access to primary care services. Part of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
Federal government
Operates the Medicare and Medicaid programs - two national health care programs that benefit millions of Americans. Part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Website includes access to research, statistics, and data related to their programs.
Clinical Directors Network (CDN)
National organization
Network of primary care clinicians in Community/Migrant Health Centers. Works to provide and improve comprehensive and accessible community-oriented primary and preventive health care services for poor, minority, and underserved populations.
Mobile Health Clinics Network (MHCN)
National organization
Dedicated to providing community outreach via the use of mobile medical and dental clinics. Includes news briefs, publications, and funding opportunities.
National Health Service Corps (NHSC)
Federal government
Works to improve the health of the underserved by recruiting and retaining the health professionals to deliver health care in underserved communities. Provides technical assistance to federally designated Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) on projects that enhance the NHSC's site development mission. Part of the Bureau of Health Professionals, Health Resources and Services Administration.
Terms & Acronyms
CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) Federal agency responsible for the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Part of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
Co-location Different health units, such as a CAH and a FQHC, situated on the same site sharing resources and facilities.
Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) FQHCs include all organizations receiving grants under section 330 of the Public Health Service Act, certain tribal organizations, and FQHC Look-Alikes. FQHCs benefit from enhanced reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid under the prospective payment system.
FQHC Look-Alike Meets all requirements for federal FQHC grant funding but has not received a grant. Look-alikes share many but not all the benefits of FQHC status.
Medicaid Federal assistance program that helps pay for medically necessary services for needy and low income individuals. The program uses state and federal funds to compensate medical providers serving these populations.
Medicare Federal health care insurance program for most adults age 65 and older and certain disabled individuals. It pays for long term care under limited circumstances and for limited periods of time.
Rural Health Clinic (RHC) Clinic certified to receive special Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement. RHCs must be located in underserved rural areas and provide primary care services. RHCs use a team approach of physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and certified nurse midwives to provide services. Payment is based on a cost-related basis for outpatient physician and certain nonphysician services.
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