This notice announces the opportunity to apply for funding under the Rural Health Care Coordination Program (Care Coordination Program).

The purpose of this program is to support rural health consortiums/networks aiming to achieving the overall goals of improving access, delivery, and quality

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of care through the application of care coordination1 strategies in rural communities.

In order to achieve the goal of the Care Coordination Program, applicants are required to coordinate the health care delivery services in rural communities through the following four focus areas.

Literature2 and previous award recipients3 have cited these key elements for a successful rural care coordination program.

1) Collaboration:
Utilizing a collaborative approach to coordinate and deliver health care services through a consortium, in which member organizations actively engage in integrated, coordinated, patient-centered delivery of health care services.

2) Leadership and Workforce:
Developing and strengthening a highly skilled care coordination workforce to respond to vulnerable populations’ unmet needs within the rural communities.

3) Improved Outcomes:
Expanding access and improving care quality and delivery, and health outcomes through evidence-based model and/or promising practices tailored to meet the local populations’ needs.

4) Sustainability:
Developing and strengthening care coordination program’s financial sustainability by establishing effective revenue sources such as expanded service reimbursement, resource sharing, and/or contributions from partners at the community, county, regional, and state levels.

Successful award recipients of the Care Coordination Program will be able to demonstrate:
1) enhanced integrated systems to collaborate and share data among member organizations; 2) effective care coordination workforce to meet needs within the rural communities; 3) improved access, delivery, and quality of services and overall patients’ health outcomes; and 4) increased program financial sustainability.