State Offices of Rural Health

Authorizing Legislation - Section 338J of the Public Health Service Act.

Program Description and Accomplishments
The State Office of Rural Health Grant (SORH) program is a key component of ORHP. The SORH program was created in 1992 to support rural health care in each of the 50 States by providing grants to States to establish and maintain SORHs. The grantees collect and disseminate health-related information in rural areas. They also provide technical and other assistance to rural health providers, including small rural hospitals. SORHs also help communities recruit and retain health professionals. Each dollar of Federal support for the program is matched by three State dollars.

The SORH program addresses HHS Strategic Goal 1 “Improve the safety, quality, affordability and accessibility of health care, including behavioral health care and long-term care.

The SORH program uses two performance measures. The first measures the number of communities receiving technical assistance from State Offices of Rural Health. These Offices play a critical role as an information resource and focal point for rural health activities within their States. In the baseline year of FY 2003, the grantees worked with 4,120 communities. That increased to 4,699 rural communities in FY 2006, exceeding the target of 4,450.

The second measure focuses on recruitment of health professionals for rural communities, which is one of the key activities across the 50 State Offices of Rural Health. In the baseline year of FY 2003, 41 of 50 grantees identified a focal point for the recruitment and retention of health care professionals in rural areas. In FY 2006, the target was exceeded with 46 out of 50 State Offices identifying a recruitment and retention focal point.

This program was covered in OMB’s combined PART assessment of HRSA’s Rural Health Activities during 2003. The rural health activities received a rating of Adequate. (See earlier Office of Rural Health Policy Summary Request.)

Funding includes costs associated with grant reviews, processing of grants through the Grants Administration Tracking and Evaluation System (GATES) and HRSA’s electronic handbook, and follow-up performance reviews.

Funding History

Budget Request
The FY 2009 request is $8,141,000, an increase of $142,000 above the FY 2008 Enacted level. The request will continue essential functions by ensuring that there is a focal point for rural health activities within each of the 50 States that can provide technical assistance to rural communities in need. The targets for FY 2009 are to work with 4,775 rural communities and increase to 49 the number of States that have an identified focal point for rural recruitment and retention.