Tuesday, March 18, 2025
3/18/2025
Organization: Phelps County Regional Medical Center (d.b.a. Phelps Health), Acute care hospital, 1000 West 10th St., Rolla, MO 65401-2905, https://phelpshealth.org/ Project Director: Devon Griep, Director of Community Health & Health Equity, 573-458-7955, dpollreisz@phelpshealth.org Network: South-Central Missouri Rural Health Network (SCMRHN) seeks to primarily expand access to, coordinate, and improve the quality of basic health care services and associated health outcomes (Legislative Aim #2), but will also achieve efficiencies and strengthen the rural health care system (#1 and #3). SCMRHN’s focus area is care coordination. The proposed service area will include three rural Missouri counties: Maries, Phelps, and Pulaski. Request Amount: $100,000 The network seeks to serve low-income adults (ages 18+) who are uninsured/underinsured. This is a population that is typically underserved in rural areas. The three counties have 107,685 residents, and an average of 14.5% of the population live in poverty. The average uninsured rate for the area is 15%, which is higher than state/national rates. Ongoing SDOH issues such as lack of public transit, healthy food accessibility, etc., also increase the likelihood of obesity, physical inactivity, and chronic conditions. The area is experiencing a health professional and mental health professional shortage with 3-5 additional providers needed for each to meet demand in each county. The counties rank as follows for healthiest counties in Missouri: 62 - Maries, 68 - Phelps, and 24 - Pulaski. Pulaski still experiences higher rates of risky health behaviors, such as smoking, obesity, and overdose deaths than the state/nation. An average of 17% of adults consider themselves in poor/fair health. All members are located in designated rural areas according to the Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer. Phelps Health, has locations in Maries, Phelps, and Pulaski; Four Rivers Community Health Center, an FQHC, has locations in Phelps and Pulaski; Phelps/Maries County Health Department, is located in Phelps County; Pulaski County Health Department is in Pulaski; Compass Health Network, an FQHC and behavioral health center, has locations in Phelps and Pulaski. All members have worked together to address specific health equity issues and are ready to combine resources to maximize health care efficiencies. All have signed a letter of commitment to the network. Each organization has multiple years of experience serving the rural area, offering services that provide physical and mental/behavioral health care to an underserved community. They have the staff and leadership to oversee a collaborative network and are willing to come together to address and solve health inequities to improve health care services and outcomes. Members will share their knowledge and resources with the network. Current collaborations between network members include: Four Rivers and Phelps Health's partnership to reduce rates of patients with dental pain coming into the ED for issues that cannot be solved without a dentist; Compass Health and Phelps Health to reduce rates of patients with behavioral health needs coming into the ED for issues that cannot be resolved without a mental health provider; and the Transformation of Rural Community Health (ToRCH) pilot program to coordinate health and wellness organizations in Phelps County. Four of the five SCMRHN members are ToRCH partners. These three counties have never had a coordinated health care network due to their small population. With the combined expertise from all five network members, residents in these counties can benefit from a group of dedicated providers working together to address the community’s health care inadequacies. Phelps Health learned about the opportunity through a HRSA News Release email subscription, and is requesting a funding preference under Qualification 1: Health Professional Shortage Area and 2: Medically Underserved Populations.
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).