This program is designed to help broaden access to COVID-19 testing and vaccines, rural healthcare services, and food assistance through food banks and food distribution facilities. This program offers two tracks of funding:

• Track One: Recovery Grants provide immediate relief to address the economic conditions arising from the COVID-19 emergency. Grant funds must be used in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic and to support immediate health care needs, to help prepare for a future pandemic event, or to increase access to quality health care services and improve community health outcomes. Grant awards range from $25,000 – $1 million.
• Track Two: Impact Grants advance ideas and solutions to solve regional rural health care problems to support the long-term sustainability of rural health care. Long-term sustainability is defined as “improved health outcomes, improved access to quality health care, and creating and maintaining sustainable economic development for small communities.” Grant funds must be used in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. Grant awards range from $5 million – $10 million.

Grant funds are limited to an applicable percentage of eligible project costs (up to 75 percent) based on population and the median household income of the population served.

About the Emergency Rural Health Care Grant Program

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) provides the Rural Housing Service Community Facilities (CF) Program up to $500 million in grant funding for eligible applicants and eligible facilities to help broaden access to COVID-19 testing and vaccines, health care services including telehealth services, food assistance through food banks and food distribution facilities, and collaborative, evidence-based support for the long-term sustainability of rural health care.

Nearly one in five Americans live in rural areas and depend on local hospitals and clinics for care. Yet since 2010, more than one hundred rural hospitals have closed. The closure of a rural hospital or health clinic results in an immediate decline in the availability of rural health care providers and increases the distance rural residents must travel to access care. The financial stress on rural hospitals and the negative impact on rural residents has been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Emergency Rural Health Care Grant Program provides immediate relief to address economic conditions arising from the COVID-19 emergency. It also provides funding to advance ideas and solutions to solve regional rural health care problems to support the long-term sustainability of rural health care.