HRSA today announced six grants totaling $899,254 to support research to help improve rural health care systems throughout the country.
 
The Policy-Oriented Rural Health Services Research Grant Program funds research that investigates how social factors, financing systems, organizational processes and health care technologies affect access to health care and the quality and cost of care in rural communities.   Funded research is intended to inform policymakers and enhance program development and will focus on:

·      health care delivery;
·      mental health or substance abuse treatment services in rural areas;
·      rural-urban comparisons;
·      the impact of changes in rural health care on individuals, families and communities;
·      market changes and how they affect rural health care systems; and
·      changes in rural health systems on rural economies.
 
A table of grant recipients follows: 
 

Policy-Oriented Rural Health Services Research Grants, FY 2003
Organization	City	State	Amount
National Conference of State Legislatures	Washington	D.C.	$149,994
University of Florida, College of Dentistry	Gainesville	Fla.	$150,000
University of Southern Maine	Portland	Maine	$150,000
University of Minnesota	Minneapolis	Minn.	$149,260
University of North Dakota	Grand Forks	N.D.	$150,000
East Tennessee State University	Johnson City	Tenn.	$150,000
Total:			$899,254