The Northern Border Regional Commission announced that health care providers and organizations across Northern New England and New York are able to apply for grant funds from the agency’s partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration.

The partnership will award $1.8 million in federal funds through the Rural Northern Border Region Healthcare Support Program.

The program will provide support to rural counties in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York to increase access to health care, including behavioral health services, recruitment and retention of health care providers and assist rural hospitals and clinics in their efforts to take part in health care value efforts. The one award recipient funded through this program will provide technical assistance in eligible Health Resources and Services Administration- designated rural counties or rural census tracts within the Northern Border Regional Commission service area.

Eligible applicants include domestic public or private, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, including tribes and tribal organizations, and faith-based and community-based organizations. Eligible applicants may be located in a rural or urban area. Eligible applicants are required to have at least one partner with experience working on health care issues in the Northern Border Regional Commission region.

“This partnership strives to ensure that our rural hospitals and health care practices are as financially strong as possible, commission federal co-chairman Chris Saunders said. “Access to quality health care is an essential component of a vibrant rural economy and NBRC’s partnership with (Health and Human Services) will strengthen the health care network across the Northern Border Region,” Saunders said.

The Notice of Funding Opportunity for fiscal year 2022 Rural Northern Border Region Healthcare Support Program can be viewed at www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html?keywords=hrsa-22-166

Applicants can begin the process on Grants.gov and apply by July 1 at 11:59 p.m.

For information contact Maribel Nunez at mnunez@hrsa.gov  or at 301-443-0466.