HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) today announced seven new grants totaling more than $1.2 million to strengthen health care systems in rural communities and encourage innovative approaches to rural health care delivery.  
 
Five grants totaling $825,675 will fund separate coalitions of at least three health-related organizations to stimulate innovation in rural health care delivery.   Two other grants, totaling $399,698, will support rural-based health care organizations’ efforts to integrate administrative, clinical, financial or technology-related activities.
 
"These grants help bring health care to rural Americans who might not receive it otherwise," HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said. "They will make it easier for health care and social service providers, health centers, hospitals and universities to pool resources and efforts to provide more and better services."
 
The grants are funded as part of the Rural Health Outreach and Network Development programs administered by the HRSA’s Office of Rural Health Policy.  Today’s awards follow 73 Rural Health Outreach and Network Development grants worth nearly $13.8 million that Secretary Thompson announced May 1 (http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2003pres/20030501a.html).
 
The new Outreach and Network Development grants are listed below:
 

FY 2003 New Rural Health Outreach Grant Awards
Organization	City	State	Amount
Appalachian Regional Healthcare, Inc.	South Williamson	Ky.	$196,824
Union General Hospital	Farmerville	La.	$186,000
Central Michigan District Health Department	Mount Pleasant	Mich.	$100,561
Community Health Link, Inc.	Sylva	N.C.	$142,290
Public Hospital District No. 1 of Klickitat County	Goldendale	Wash.	$200,000
TOTAL:			$825,675
FY 2003 New Rural Health Network Development Grants
Organization	City	State	Amount
Affiliated Service Providers of Indiana Inc.	Logansport	Ind.	$199,698
The Burke Center	Lufkin	Texas	$200,000
TOTAL:			$399,698