Recovery Assistance for Community Health Centers

Table of Contents

Federally Qualified Community Health Centers (Section 330 of PHS Act)

Recovery Funds

  • $1.5 billion for infrastructure nationwide
  • $500 million for services nationwide

New York State's Share

  • To be determined; $79.7 million to date to Health Centers

The Recovery Act provides funds to the US Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) to assist medically underserved populations. The funds are distributed directly to recipients by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

The Recovery funds permit new and expanded location construction and also address increased demand for services as more people resort to community health centers for diagnosis and treatment. Such investments can include hiring additional physicians and other medical staff.

Information on NY Awards

On March 2, 2009, five centers in NYS were awarded a total of $7 million in New Access Point grant awards - four in NYC and one upstate in Penn Yan – expecting to serve an additional 45,000 and create 335 jobs.

On March 27, 2009, fifty-one federally-qualified community health care centers in NYS – twenty-eight of them in NYC boroughs – received a total of $19.4million in Increased Demand for Services (IDS) grants.

On July 2, 2009, another round of capital improvement grant awards was announced which totaled more than $850 million nationwide.

  • Fifty-one centers in NYS received grants totaling $53.2 million, or approximately 6.25% of the national amount available.
  • Five centers received that maximum amount of $2.5 million.
  • Twenty-nine of the centers receiving these grants are in New York City and obtained a total of $30.2 million or 58% of the State total.

More information, including the full list of recipients for all three of the above grants.

On June 23, 2009, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced that FQHCs were eligible to compete for a nationwide total of $525 million in its Facility Investment Program .Applications are due August 6, 2009. HRSA expects to make 100 awards between $750,000 and $12 million to successful applicants.

New York Recovery Act Handbook

Health Research – National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

Recovery Funds

  • $10.4 billion nationwide
    • $1.8 billion is targeted for infrastructure, both at NIH buildings and other research facilities, for construction projects and equipment purchases,
    • $400 million for comparative effectiveness research (to AHRQ),
    • $8.2 billion for research ($7.4 billion to common fund for percentage formula distribution, and $.8 billion to Director's discretion, for example, Challenge Grants).

New York State's Share

  • NIH lists the over 1,100 awards, totaling over $384 million, that have been made directly to research facilities in New York State on its web site. Specific details about the nature of the research and the amount of each award are also posted. In addition, NIH has granted New York State over $3 million in supplements to employ about 250 students and teachers in summer research projects.

The Recovery Act provides funds for health research to focus on specific knowledge gaps, scientific opportunities, new technologies, data generation, or research methods and to improve the facilities to accommodate accelerated research. Grant opportunities continue to be announced.

On September 18, 2009, NIH announced a new program: Building Sustainable Community-Linked Infrastructure to Enable Health Science Research, or the Infrastructure Grants program.

  • $30 million to be awarded to support the development, expansion, or reconfiguration of infrastructure needed to facilitate collaboration between academic health centers and community-based organizations for health science research, to accelerate the pace, productivity, dissemination and implementation of health research.
  • Eligible applicants include: institutions of higher education; independent school districts; state, county, municipal and tribal governments; both for profit and non-profit businesses; and regional organizations.
  • NIH expects to award 30 or more grants. Applications are due December 11, 2009.

On September 25, AHRQ two new limited competitive grants for comparative effectiveness:

  • Clinical and Health Outcomes Initiative in Comparative Effectiveness (CHOICE) Grants
    • $100 million expected to be awarded to 10 large projects aimed at generating new knowledge to help inform decision making in priority areas of clinical care; specifically, arthritis and non-traumatic joint disorders; cancer; cardiovascular disease, including stroke and hypertension; dementia, including Alzheimer's disease; depression and other mental health disorders; developmental delays, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism; diabetes mellitus; functional limitations and disability; infectious diseases including HIV/AIDS; obesity; peptic ulcer disease and dyspepsia; pregnancy including pre-term birth; pulmonary disease/asthma; and substance abuse.
    • Eligibles include State, local and tribal governments, institutions of higher education, and faith-based and community-based organizations.
    • Letters of intent due November 18; applications, December 16, 2009
  • Innovative Adaption and Dissemination of AHRQ Comparative Effectiveness Research Products (iADAPT) Grants
    • $29.5 million to be awarded, with a grant ceiling of $1.5 million for innovative customizations or adaptations to the content presentation and/or delivery mechanisms to increase their use, implementation and impact among difficult-to-reach populations, including the elderly, those with limited English proficiency, limited education or insurance coverage, minority or immigrant status, health literacy problems, or other underserved populations.
    • Eligibles include State, county and tribal governments, institutions of higher education, and faith-based and community-based organizations.
    • Applications due December 16, 2009.

On November 2, 2009, NIH announced a limited competitive grant opportunity: Administrative Supplements to Support Core Consolidation.

  • Approximately $15 million available nationwide to encourage such activities as:
    • Merging two core facilities from different departments or campuses into a single core;
    • Moving equipment to make it accessible to a much larger group of investigators;
    • Consolidating two different technologies; or
    • Combining core facilities at different institutions into a single facility.
  • Applications are due January 13, 2010 and may contain requests for no more than $500,000 for equipment, no more than $500,000 for alteration and renovation, and no more than $200,000 for direct costs such as personnel and supplies.

National Institute of Health(NIH) / National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) make awards directly to successful applicants, including public or private institutions of higher education.

New York Recovery Act Handbook

Medicaid and Medicare Funded Health Information Technology

Recovery Funds

  • $14 billion nationwide

New York State's Share

  • To be determined

The Recovery Act provides a federal contribution to the amounts States pay as incentives to providers to adopt electronic health records (EHR). Health care providers, including hospitals are eligible.

A formula adjusts a base annual incentive payment, including discharge and other factors. Outlays are not expected until 2010-2019.

On May 15, 2009 the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released its plan for Accelerating the Adoption of Health Information Technology.

On September 1, 2009, the Center for Medicaid and State Operations issued initial guidance on the States' administration of the incentive payments, outlining the timeline and necessary steps that must occur before payments can be made.

Other Information Technology to Foster Electronic Health Records (EHR)

Recovery Funds

  • $2 billion nationwide

New York State's Share

  • To be determined

National Coordinator for Health IT (ONCHIT) to oversee

  • Privacy and Security, $24.285 million
  • National Institute of Standards & Technology, $20 million
  • Regional HIT Exchange, $300 million
  • Unspecified, $1.7 billion

On May 15, 2009 the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released its plan for Accelerating the Adoption of Health Information Technology.

On August 20, 2009, ONCHIT set aside $564 million to be distributed to states through cooperative agreements which will be used to advance the necessary governance, policies, technical services, business operations and funding mechanisms for health information exchange, building off existing efforts to advance regional and state level towards nationwide interoperability.

On the same day, ONCHIT also announced that certain not-for-profit orgranizations are eligible to compete for $598 million in grants for the HIT Extension Program, Regional Centers Cooperative Agreement Program. Funds will be awarded through three cycles, with preliminary applications for the first round due September 8, 2009. More information on eligibility requirements and submitting applications.

NYS Recovery Act Handbook

Prevention and Wellness Fund

Recovery Funds

  • $1 billion nationwide

New York State's Share

  • To be determined; $47.75 million, estimated - based on per capita allotment

The Recovery Act provides funding for public health programs through the Prevention and Wellness Fund. Of this amount,

  • $300 million will be transferred to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the immunization program,
  • $50 million for healthcare-associated infection reduction, and
  • $650 million will be used for evidence based clinical, and community-based prevention and wellness strategies with measurable outcomes that address chronic disease rates.

Immunization Program

  • $50 million for noncompetitive operational grants and vaccine distribution,
  • $18 million for competitive grants for innovative approaches increasing the number of Americans who receive childhood vaccines and for improving reimbursement practices, and
  • $32 million retained by CDC for internal use - CDC announced a competitive grant opportunity, open to public and private nonprofit organizations, for immunization cooperative agreement partnerships, total of $2.5 million, with applications due July 6, 2009, for three different purposes:
    • Provide Technical Assistance and Training for Immunization Coalitions and Health Departments
    • Develop and Implement Materials and Programs to Educate Nurses about Immunization Issues
    • Develop Vaccine Safety Communication Materials and Curriculum for Medical Residents
  • $200 million to purchase vaccines.
    • NYS grant for vaccines is $12.1 million, which includes $4.6 million for New York City.
    • NYS also received $3.8 million to administer the immunization program, both at the State and local health department levels. Excluding New York City, the other 57 counties received $1,7 of this award as additional funds for operational costs.

Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI) Reduction

  • CDC will award funding ($40 million) to eligible state health departments to support efforts to prevent HAIs. Existing Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases (ELC) and the Emerging Infections Programs (EIP) competitive cooperative agreement programs will be utilized to make competitive supplemental awards to eligible state health departments to carry out HAI activities.
  • Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will provide funding ($10 million) to significantly expand the awareness of proper infection control technique among Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) and State Survey Agency (SA), increase the extent to which infection control deficiencies are both identified and remedied, and prevent future serious infections in ASCs .
  • Payments will be made to States separate from but in the same manner as operation of the Survey and Certification program using Federal Hospital and Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Funds.

Prevention and Wellness Strategies

  • On September 17, 2009, CDC announced a new ARRA-funded public health initiative, Communities Putting Prevention to Work. $373 million, or over 57% of the $650 million contained in the Recovery Act for this purpose, will be awarded competitively to local communities to address to risk factors:
    • Obesity/Physical Activity/Nutrition: Category A Grants
    • Tobacco Prevention and Control: Category B Grants
    • Between 30-40 grants will be awarded; applications are due December 1, 2009.
  • The balance, $277 million will be awarded as grants to states (more information will be released at a later date by CDC).

New York Recovery Act Handbook

Rural Development Grants

Recovery Funds

  • $130 million nationwide

New York State's Share

  • To be determined

The Recovery Act provides funding for the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to award grants and loans directly to rural areas of up to 20,000 in population.

Funds can be used, among other purposes, for hospitals, outpatient clinics and rehabilitation centers; medical and dental clinics; and assisted living facilities and nursing homes.

The goal of the Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Programs is to improve the quality of life for rural residents through the provision of essential community facilities such as health care, public safety, and education. The program provides facilities, equipment, and furnishings to house and provide these services; operating funds are not available through this program.

New York Recovery Act Handbook

Workforce Training: US Department of Labor

Recovery Funds

  • $500 million allocated nationwide for adult employment
  • $250 million nationwide for competitive grants in high growth & emerging industries

New York State's Share

Funds from the US Department of Labor (USDOL) are awarded to the NYSDOL to support One-Stop employment centers and to distribute through local workforce training boards to community colleges and other training facilities. Funds are used to train adults and place them in jobs, including the health care sector.

A competitive grant opportunity for worker training and placement in health care jobs was announced by US DOL in late July, with applications due October 5, 2009. Public entities or private nonprofit entities, local Workforce Investment Boards and their One Stop Systems, Tribal organizations, education and training providers, labor organizations, health care providers, and faith-based and community organizations are eligible.

New York Recovery Act Handbook

Workforce Training: US Health and Human Services; Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)

Recovery Funds

  • $500 million nationwide

New York State's Share

  • To date, $.5 million; more is expected later this year.

The Recovery Act provides supplemental funding for HRSA Financial Aid for Health Professions Students & Practitioners programs, such as National Health Service Corps and the Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program.

In exchange for their grants or loan repayments, recipients are required to serve a minimum of two years in a community that has a shortage of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals.

HRSA announced a new program, SEARCH, Student / Resident Experiences and Rotations in Community Health, to strengthen systems of care in underserved communities through the development of links between community-based sites and academic institutions. Proposals were due July 20, 2009.

Also, HRSA has announced how it will target and distribute $200 million of the available funds:

  • $80.2 million for scholarships, loans and loan repayment awards to students, health professionals and faculty:
    • $39 million for nurses and nurse faculty,
    • $40 million to disadvantaged students in a wide range of professions, and
    • $1.2 million to health professions faculty from disadvantaged backgrounds.
  • $50 million in grants to health professional training programs to purchase equipment needed to expand programs and improve the quality of the training.
  • $47.6 million to support primary care training programs - for example for residents, medical students, physician assistants and dentists - many of whom will practice in underserved areas.
  • $10.5 million to strengthen the public health workforce by supporting traineeships to increase the number of individuals trained in preventive medicine and dental public health residencies.
  • $10.2 million to increase diversity of the health professional workforce.
  • $1.5 million to support the efforts of State professional licensing boards in reducing barriers to telemedicine.

Funds are awarded directly to applicants for scholarships, loans, and loan repayments. Typically, in exchange they required to serve a minimum of two years in a community that has a shortage of doctors, nurses and other health care professionals. Applications are continuously being accepted and a listing of the location of vacancies and the medical specialty of the positions is available for search.

In August, 2009, HRSA distributed $8.1 million through its Nurse Education Loan Repayment Program to healthcare facilities across the nation. Five downstate facilities in New York received ARRA funds to use to help nurses repay their education debts. Six other colleges and universities in New York were awarded grants totaling almost $500,000 to support the training of masters and doctors nursing degree students who commit to teach in this field.

On September 11, 2009, HRSA announced the award of seventeen grants to New York State colleges and universities totaling approximately $3.8 million for scholarships for disadvantaged students, public health traineeships, dental public health residency and for centers of excellence to expand programs for minority students and retain minority faculty.

On September 17, 2009, the Department of Health received a grant of $54,000 to collaborate with other State agencies and resources to increase the number of NHSC applicants that are placed in qualified sites in New York State and to continue to coordinate these placements with Doctors Across New York.

New York Recovery Act Handbook