14 rural hospitals awarded $4.8 million in grants to improve access
by August 26, 2020 8:02 pm 263 views
The Arkansas Rural Health Partnership (ARHP), a non-profit organization of 14 rural hospitals spanning South Arkansas was recently awarded three Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Office of Rural Health grants totaling $4,806,616 to address increasing access to care throughout the region.
“These projects are focused on meeting the healthcare needs of our residents and providing resources to our hospitals and clinics so that they can continue to provide the best quality of care right here at home,” said Mellie Bridewell, CEO of Arkansas Rural Health Partnership and Regional Director for UAMS Office of Strategic Management.
“We are working together with our partners to improve and increase healthcare resources in our region. These grants provide us with the resources to continue to address and fund valuable initiatives that will help our patients and our hospitals,” Bridewell added.
Hospitals, health clinics and community health centers in the following counties will benefit from the grant funding: Ashley, Arkansas, Bradley, Calhoun, Chicot, Dallas, Desha, Drew, Grant, Jefferson, Lee, Lincoln, Monroe, Ouachita, Phillips, St. Francis, and Union.
HRSA Delta States grant is a three-year project to provide healthcare provider education and training, both distance learning and on-site simulation.
ARHP has partnered with UAMS Institute for Digital Health and Innovation and UAMS Centers for Simulation Education to launch UAMS’ health workforce education and training platform into partnering hospitals, rural health clinics, and community health centers for maintaining certification and quality best practices in healthcare.
The project also includes expanding ARHP’s prescription assistance, Medicare, and Medicaid enrollment services, Mental Health First Aid, and navigation services for patients and residents through the service area.
“These funds will help ensure our hospitals and providers have the resources needed to continue thriving in our communities and continue delivering the highest quality of care to our patients. I am thankful for the hard work of the ARHP team and of our federal delegation who diligently pursue funding like this to help improve health outcomes in our state and the region,” said Phillip Gilmore, President of Arkansas Rural Health Partnership.