Rural Health Research Centers

Objectives: The Rural Health Research Center program supports publicly available, policy-relevant research to assist decision makers in understanding the challenges faced by rural communities and providers. The Rapid Response Rural Data Analysis and Issue Specific Rural Research Studies program assists rural communities in conducting rapid data analyses and short-term research studies to understand the impact of policies and regulations to improve access to health care in rural communities. The Rural Health Research Dissemination Program disseminates and markets policy-oriented information for use by diverse audiences to inform and raise awareness of issues regarding policy implications, access, quality and status of health care delivery, services, and management in rural communities. The Rural Health Innovation and Transformation Technical Assistance Program provides technical assistance to rural stakeholders and the public to understand and engage in the value-based care landscape in the context of rural health care. The Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program Evaluation Cooperative Agreement improves healthcare in rural areas by analyzing Critical Access Hospital (CAH) data, capturing best practices, and targeting limited CAH resources. The Information Services to Rural Hospital Flexibility Recipients Cooperative Agreement provides technical assistance, capacity building and support to the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program and the Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program. The National Rural Health Policy, Community, and Collaboration Program identifies and educates rural stakeholders about national policy issues and promising practices for rural health; supports engagement of rural communities; facilitates partnerships and collaborations to support rural health. The State Offices of Rural Health Coordination and Development Program (SORHCDP) builds the capacity of the 50 State Offices of Rural Health (SORH) and rural stakeholders nationwide to better coordinate and improve rural health services. The Rural Quality Improvement Technical Assistance Cooperative Agreement provides technical assistance to FORHP recipients, Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), and other rural providers, using data to demonstrate improvement in quality of care for rural patients. The Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Cooperative Agreement provides technical assistance to Rural Health Clinics and disseminates information regarding issues such as Medicare survey and certification, billing and payment, and applicable regulatory issues. The Rural Residency Planning and Development - Technical Assistance program establishes a rural residency planning and development technical assistance center to assist HRSA Rural Residency Planning and Development (RRPD) recipients creating new allopathic medicine rural residency programs associated with specialties such as primary care, internal medicine, psychiatry, and general preventive medicine. The Targeted Technical Assistance for Rural Hospitals Program (renamed from Vulnerable Rural Hospitals Assistance Program) improves healthcare in rural areas by providing targeted, in-depth technical assistance to rural hospitals within communities struggling to maintain health care services. The Rural Residency Planning and Development (RRPD) Program develops newly, accredited and sustainable rural residency programs to support expansion of the physician workforce in rural areas. The Rural Communities Opioid Response Program-Evaluation cooperative agreement evaluates the impact of RCORP initiatives, which currently include RCORP-Medication Assisted Treatment Access, RCORP-Implementation, and several pilot programs. The Rural Communities Opioid Response Program- Rural Centers of Excellence on Substance Use Disorder builds the evidence base for what prevention, treatment, and recovery interventions are most effective and sustainable in rural communities and disseminates this information to strengthen