HRSA Announcement: Important Message for PSPC Team Members and Health Center 340B Participants Regarding ARRA Funding

Dear PSPC Team Members
Dear Health Center 340B Participants

We are writing to call your attention to American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grant resources that have just become available to respond to Increased Demand for Services (IDS) at health centers.  These funds could be used for pharmacy services, to hire personnel such as nurses, pharmacists, and others to expand the number of patients served, including the uninsured.  To be eligible to use ARRA funds for these purposes, pharmacy services must be within the health center’s current scope of project.

The timelines for applying for the stimulus grant funds are very tight, so securing these resources for these kinds of purposes would require your immediate attention. 

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Bureau of Primary Health Care announced the availability of the second component of the $500 million to support Increased Demand for Services grants.  HRSA will award up to $340 million for one-time, 2-year funding in fiscal year (FY) 2009 to support IDS at existing sites and to provide supplemental payments for spikes in uninsured populations at health centers currently receiving operating grants under section 330 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 254b). 

IDS application (HRSA-09-218); applications will be due on March 16, 2009.  Health center grantees could begin submitting grant applications through the HRSA Electronic Hand Books (EHB) at noon, March 9.

Each Health Center Program grantee will also be receiving an email through EHB with further instructions on the specific amount of IDS funding available to the health center and how to request the funds through the EHB.  

We are delighted that this one-time funding has been made available, and that some health centers may be eligible to use the funds for work to improve health outcomes and safety through pharmacy services for more patients.  Thanks much for your consideration of this exciting possibility.

Best Regards,

Denise H. Geolot, PhD, RN, FAAN,
Director, HRSA Center for Quality,
Co-Director, HRSA Patient Safety and Clinical Pharmacy Services Collaborative

 
Jimmy Mitchell,
Director, HRSA Office of Pharmacy Affairs
Co-Director, HRSA Patient Safety and Clinical Pharmacy Services Collaborative