Program Supports Health IT Workforce Training and Development
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is an agency operating under Health and Human Services (HHS) with a primary goal of improving access to health care services for the uninsured, isolated, or medically vulnerable. HRSA provides leadership and financial support to providers in every U.S. state and territory. The agency also offers an array of educational resources, tools and events to support the efforts of adoption of health information technology. Last week the agency announced a $4,5 million grant program to support the health IT workforce in rural communities.
The HRSA three-year program will provide 15 grants up to $300,000 each. The grants will support health networks in rural communities conduct activities related to health IT workforce development including recruitment, education, training and employee retention. The grants will also be used to beef up existing health IT resources through development of formal health IT training program. According to an agency spokesperson, “These formal training programs will result in the development of a cadre of [health IT] workers who can help rural hospitals and clinics implement and maintain systems, such as electronic health records, telehealth, home monitoring and mobile health technology, and meeting EHR meaningful use standards.”
HRSA is now accepting applications through April 15, 2013 for this grant program. If you would like to be notified of future grant programs, you can sign up at the Grants.gov website.
More on HRSA
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services . HRSA was created in 1982, when the Health Resources Administration and the Health Services Administration were merged. Comprising six bureaus and ten offices, HRSA provides leadership and financial support to health care providers in every state and U.S. territory. HRSA grantees provide health care to uninsured people, people living with HIV/AIDS, and pregnant women, mothers and children. The agency trains health professionals and support improving health systems of care in rural communities.