HRSA Announces $50 Million in Funding to Optimize Use of Virtual Care in Health Centers

HRSA (@HRSAgov) announced the availability of up to $50 million for HRSA-funded health centers to further efforts to advance virtual care. This competitive, one-time funding opportunity will support health centers in optimizing the use of virtual care to increase access and improve clinical quality for medically underserved communities and vulnerable populations.

Overview
Fiscal year (FY) 2022 Optimizing Virtual Care (OVC) one-time funding is available for up to 25 health centers on a competitive basis. The purpose of the OVC funding is to support health centers to develop, implement, and evaluate innovative, evidence-based strategies that:

  • Optimize the use of virtual care to increase access and improve clinical quality for underserved communities and vulnerable populations; and
  • Can be adapted and scaled across the Health Center Program.

This funding opportunity will support health centers to systematically design, implement, and evaluate ways to optimize the use of virtual care into the future.

If funded, award recipients will actively participate in collaborative learning and evaluation activities with other OVC award recipients through a coordination and evaluation center. Award recipients will provide data and progress updates to the coordination and evaluation center that will facilitate peer learning and evaluate progress and effectiveness of the funded projects to optimize the use of virtual care.

Who Can Apply
Applicants must be existing Health Center Program award recipients currently receiving operational (H80) funding under section 330(e), (g), (h), and/or (i) of the Public Health Service Act.

How to Apply
OVC applications require a two-phase submission process:

  • Phase 1Grants.gov: Must be completed and successfully submitted to Grants.gov by 11:59 pm ET on July 16, 2021.
  • Phase 2HRSA EHBs: Must be completed and successfully submitted by 5:00 pm ET on August 17, 2021.

Resources

Applicant Technical Assistance Webinar