The Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) has announced its Rural Health Network Development Planning Program (“Network Planning”) opportunity. The Network Planning program promotes the planning and development of rural health care networks in order to: (i) achieve efficiencies; (ii) expand access to, coordinate, and improve the quality of essential health care services; and (iii) strengthen the rural health care system as a whole. Health care networks help smaller rural health care providers and health care service organizations align resources and strategies, achieve economies of scale and efficiency, and allow challenges to be addressed more effectively as a group. HRSA expects to make 24 Network Planning grant awards of up to $100,000 for the one-year project period (June 1, 2016-May 31, 2017). Applications are due January 8, 2016.

Words for Good is experienced with Network Planning applications, having assisted the Indiana Rural Health Association and other clients with successful applications in the past.