Sunday, April 27, 2025
4/27/2025
Rural Health Network Development Planning Grant Program - Dent County Health Improvement Network. Regular Network Planning Track: Dent County Health Improvement Network’s focus area is on resource management. The Network will leverage existing providers, facilities, and partnerships to maximize rural resources, with an emphasis on reaching the rural underserved population in the community. The proposed service area will be Dent County, Missouri. Dent County is fully rural as defined by the HRSA Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer. Regular Network Planning Aim #1: Achieve Efficiencies. Aim #2: Expand access to, coordinate and improve the quality of basic health care services and associated health outcomes. Aim #3: Strengthen the local rural health care system. Applicant Organization Information: Council for a Healthy Dent County, 1200 W. Rolla Road, Salem MO 65560, Non-for-Profit. Designated Project Director Information: Jackie Sisco, Program Director, (573) 729-8163 jackie@salemcommunitycenter.org. The population to be served is all those living in Dent County. It is inclusive of persons who live in the rural service area, suffer from poorer health outcomes, and are underserved. The underserved population has historically suffered from poorer health outcomes and disparities. Subpopulations of this target population are those persons who have been adversely affected by persistent poverty, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. There are 15,518 people who live in Dent County, which 6,913 (44%) of those people are living in a Health Professional Shortage Area of primary care, dental or mental health professionals. 99.9% of those persons are being underserved. Dent County ranks 102 out of 115 counties and is among the least healthy counties in Missouri (0-25%) for health outcomes and factors. In Dent County 44.77% of the total population are living in households with income below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). Since 2000 the poverty rate has been 5% higher than the US, creating an environment of persistent poverty. Of the total population 37.94% of the population is over the age of 55. This is higher than Missouri (30.36%) and the US (28.92%). In 2019, there were 8,117 hospital stays per 100,000 people enrolled in Medicare that may have been prevented by outpatient treatment. This is double the Missouri total (4,155) and slightly over double the US total (3,767). All three Network members have signed a Letter of Commitment. 1. Council for a Healthy Dent County, Non-for-Profit; 2. Dent County Health Center, local public health agency; 3. Salem Memorial District Hospital, Critical Access Hospital. Council for Healthy Dent County attests that 100 percent of the network composition involved in the proposed project is located in a HRSA-designated rural area, as defined by the Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer. All members are fully committed to integrate their functions and share resources. They currently are at the perform stage of team development. All the Network Members have multiple years of experience serving the rural underserved population in Dent County. The organizations continue to serve, understand the unique challenges, and have future capacity to serve. Each organization has leadership and staff who were born and raised and continuing working and living in Dent County. This brings historical experiences and knowledge on serving the rural underserved population to the Network. Previous collaboration that has served the underserved population include an annual Health and Wellness Expo for the community, quarterly health screenings for the community, mass COVID testing and vaccination clinics, the Smoke Free Community Program, Show Me Healthy Women Program, Project Rise Program, Strengthening Families Program, School-based Prevention programs, many others. Council for Healthy Dent County on behalf of the Dent County Health Improvement Network, is requesting a funding preference under Qualification 1: Health Professional Shortage Area.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).