Multiple Black Belt areas included in first grants for rural health program

Agencies serving multiple areas in the Black Belt are among others to benefit from the first round of grants from the state as part of its Alabama Rural Health Transformation Program (ARHTP).

The program is dealing out 138 grants totaling more than $144 million.  

“Alabama is serious about creating systematic changes through the ARHTP to ensure every citizen has access to quality care," said Governor Ivey in an announcement. "This program is enabling institutions covering every part of the state to improve healthcare for Alabamians through projects that are both innovative and sustainable."

"From the federal policymakers and state administrators to our professional healthcare leaders, I commend all the thoughtful work dedicated to ensuring the success of this program.”

The press release went on to note that initiatives being funded include rural health, rural workforce, mental health, rural health practice and collaborative electronic health record (EHR), IT and cybersecurity.

“The Trump Administration’s Rural Health Transformation Program is based on one simple idea: your access to quality health care shouldn’t depend on your ZIP code,” said Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz.

“Funding new approaches to expand access to both primary and specialty care is a critical step toward achieving that vision for Alabamians, and I look forward to seeing RHTP investments drive equally transformative innovations for rural communities nationwide.”

See below for those that received funding:

Collaborative Electronic Health Record (EHR), IT and Cybersecurity Initiative

Alabama Primary Health Care Association – $867,102 to establish a shared rural health technology and care coordination framework to strengthen collaboration among participating health centers, rural clinics, hospitals and community mental health providers in 43 counties (Baldwin, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Chambers, Cherokee, Chilton, Choctaw, Clarke, Clay, Cleburne, Coffee, Conecuh, Coosa, Covington, Crenshaw, Cullman, Dale, Dallas, DeKalb, Escambia, Greene, Henry, Jackson, Jefferson, Lamar, Lowndes, Macon, Madison, Marengo, Marshall, Mobile, Monroe, Perry, Pickens, Pike, Randolph, Sumter, Talladega, Walker, Washington, Wilcox, Winston).

Auburn University – $6.38 million to establish a shared digital health and cybersecurity network to improve access to care, information sharing and technology support for rural healthcare providers in 12 counties (Barbour, Bullock, Chambers, Covington, Dale, Geneva, Henry, Macon, Monroe, Pike, Tallapoosa, Washington).

Cahaba Medical Care Foundation – $212,180 to strengthen cybersecurity protections across its rural health center network to protect patient information and maintain reliable access to care in six counties (Bibb, Chilton, Dallas, Marengo, Perry, Wilcox).

The City of York Health Care Authority DBA Hill Hospital of Sumter County – $344,269 to strengthen its health information technology, cybersecurity and electronic health record systems to improve care coordination and protect patient information in three counties (Choctaw, Pickens, Sumter).

Haynes Ambulance of Alabama Inc. – $283,314 to strengthen cybersecurity and information technology systems across its rural emergency medical service stations to protect patient information and improve operational reliability in eight counties (Bullock, Covington, Crenshaw, Elmore, Lowndes, Macon, Pike, Tallapoosa)

Infirmary Health System Inc. – $3.5 million to establish a regional referral and technology network to improve secure information sharing, care coordination and cybersecurity for rural hospitals and clinics in three counties (Clarke, Mobile, Washington).

University of South Alabama – $1.51 million to establish a regional healthcare technology and interoperability network serving 10 rural hospitals across south Alabama through a coordinated hub-and-spoke model that combines shared technology services, enhanced interoperability, cybersecurity modernization and standardized operational platforms to improve provider sustainability and patient care in 17 counties (Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Dallas, Escambia, Greene, Hale, Lowndes, Marengo, Monroe, Perry, Sumter, Washington, Wilcox).

Whatley Health Services Inc. – $3.49 million to strengthen its electronic health record, cybersecurity and information technology systems across its rural clinic network to improve care coordination, protect patient information and support reliable healthcare operations in seven counties (Greene, Hale, Lamar, Pickens, Sumter, Tuscaloosa, Walker).

Wilcox Hospital Board DBA J. Paul Jones Rural Emergency Hospital – $839,753 to upgrade its information technology, cybersecurity and electronic health record systems to improve secure information sharing, protect patient data and support reliable healthcare operations in five counties (Chilton, Coosa, Elmore, Perry, Wilcox).

Rural Health Initiative

Alabama Vascular Specialists – $241,894 to expand vascular specialty services at its Selma satellite clinic by purchasing ultrasound, circulation-testing, and accessible examination equipment. The new equipment will allow the clinic to increase diagnostic testing capacity, improve patient triage, and expand clinic frequency from one to two days per week. (Bibb, Bullock, Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Monroe, Montgomery, Perry, Pickens, Sumter, Washington, Wilcox).

A dedicated non-emergency transportation vehicle to provide safe, reliable transport for discharged patients who live in Butler, Coffee, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, and Escambia counties will be funded by a second grant of $176,980.

Auburn University – $4 million to create a network of local healthcare access sites connected to a central virtual clinic to expand preventive and primary care in rural communities. The project will use virtual visits and remote health monitoring to connect residents with routine care, specialty services, chronic condition management, mental health support and coordinated care while reducing travel and strengthening rural providers (Barbour, Bibb, Bullock, Chambers, Clay, Conecuh, Covington, Dale, Franklin, Geneva, Henry, Macon, Marion, Pike, Tallapoosa, Washington).

Cahaba Medical Care Foundation – This healthcare institution has received two grants under this initiative, including one for $106,500 to establish a two-tier telehealth and specialty consultation program across six rural clinics to expand access to dermatology services closer to home (Bibb, Chilton, Perry, Wilcox).

A centralized rural shared-services hub and expand clinical capacity to support new and expanded primary care and behavioral health services in Bibb, Dallas, Marengo, Perry, and Wilcox counties was established by a second grant $2.28 million.

City of Jackson Healthcare Authority DBA Jackson Medical Center – $98,300 to establish The Bridge Project, a dedicated non-emergency medical transportation program for mobility-impaired residents and behavioral health patients who need reliable access to healthcare services (Clarke, Washington).

Crenshaw County Healthcare Authority – $1.08 million to establish a tele-psychiatry program to expand access to behavioral health care for rural patients and reduce unnecessary travel, transfers and delays in psychiatric evaluation (Crenshaw).

The DCH Health Care Authority – $2 million to establish a dedicated non-emergency medical transportation program to improve access to healthcare services and support patient movement across west Alabama (Fayette, Pickens, Greene, Hale, Lamar, Perry, Sumter, Marengo, Choctaw, Bibb).

The East Alabama Health Care Authority – This healthcare institution has received two grants under this initiative, including one for $6.77 million to establish a Regional Shared Services Hub to strengthen the operations and sustainability of rural partner hospitals across the region (Barbour, Bullock, Chambers, Clay, Elmore, Lee).

A mobile outreach bus connecting residents in underserved communities to primary care resources and preventative health screenings in Chambers, Macon, and Tallapoosa counties was acquired with a second grant of $1.29 million.

Faulkner University – $2.08 million to establish the Eagle Care Mobile Health Network using two mobile healthcare units, virtual visits, remote health monitoring and care coordination to bring ongoing services directly to underserved rural communities (Bullock, Butler, Dallas, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Perry, Wilcox).

Franklin Primary Health Center Inc. – $574,091 to establish the Franklin Rural Behavioral Health Telehealth and Teleconsult Initiative to expand access to behavioral health services through a hybrid in-person and telehealth model (Baldwin, Choctaw, Conecuh, Escambia, Monroe).

Healthcare Authority of the City of Greenville – L.V. Stabler Hospital – $4.17 million to establish a telehealth intensive care program and expand general surgery services at Regional Medical Center of Central Alabama to strengthen access to critical and specialty care close to home (Butler).

City of York Health Care Authority DBA Hill Hospital of Sumter County – $1.53 million to expand access to healthcare services by combining telehealth technology with transportation resources for rural and medically underserved residents of West Alabama (Choctaw, Jefferson, Sumter, Pickens, Tuscaloosa).

Infirmary Health System Inc. – This nonprofit health system based in Mobile and Baldwin counties has received two grants under this initiative, including one for $386,000 to establish the Rural Women’s Health Hub of Southwest Alabama to expand access to women’s health, maternal health and specialty care closer to home (Clarke, Washington).

Women’s Access to Care Close to Home Initiative to expand preventive, prenatal, postpartum and specialty-connected care for women in Baldwin, Clarke, Conecuh, and Escambia counties was secured by a second grant of $1.12 million.

QHG of Enterprise Inc. – $2.77 million to modernize the medical center’s diagnostic imaging services by upgrading its existing MRI unit and replacing its only CT scanner (Coffee, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Geneva, Pike).

The Troy Hospital Health Care Authority – $623,000 to renovate an intensive care unit that is more than 30 years old to improve patient safety and support hospital staff (Barbour, Coffee, Crenshaw, Montgomery, Pike).

UAB Montgomery – $2.09 million to implement the Lowndes County “Street MAP” Clinic to expand access to healthcare services for underserved residents in Lowndes County (Lowndes).

University of Alabama – $1.46 million to establish the Brain Health Rural Integrated Delivery and Guidance Exchange to connect services for brain injuries, mental health, substance use and social needs (Statewide).

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Vaughan Regional Medical Center – $780,332 to replace its outdated nurse call system with a modern facility-wide communication system to improve patient safety, clinical response and care coordination (Dallas).

Tombigbee Healthcare Authority DBA Whitfield Regional Hospital – $259,011 to expand community wellness events that provide health screenings, education, referral assistance and access to virtual primary and specialty care (Dallas, Greene, Marengo, Sumter, Wilcox).

Wilcox Hospital Board DBA J. Paul Jones Rural Emergency Hospital – $116,880 to implement a two-part technology upgrade to reduce provider documentation burden and strengthen time-sensitive tele-neurology and stroke care across rural Alabama (Chilton, Coosa, Elmore, Perry, Wilcox).

Rural Workforce Initiative

Alabama Community College System – The system received two grants from this initiative, including $464,000 to establish a statewide training network that awards college credit for qualifying military training and creates accelerated pathways for veterans to complete healthcare credentials.

A registered earn-and-learn apprenticeship to expand the nursing faculty workforce and increase nursing education capacity in Baldwin, Coffee, Colbert, Conecuh, Covington, Cullman, Dallas, DeKalb, Etowah, Houston, Jefferson, Limestone, Madison, Marshall, Mobile, Montgomery, Randolph, Russell, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, and Walker counties was secured for $319,540.

Alabama Fire College – $756,559 to expand emergency medical services education across rural Alabama by providing scholarship-supported training for volunteer firefighters, rescue squad members, career firefighters, ambulance service employees and community members seeking emergency medical services credentials in rural communities statewide.

Auburn University – $5 million to establish a multidisciplinary Rural Workforce Academy to strengthen the pipeline of healthcare professionals in 12 counties (Barbour, Bullock, Chambers, Covington, Dale, Geneva, Henry, Macon, Monroe, Pike, Tallapoosa, Washington).

Cahaba Medical Care Foundation – The foundation received two grants from this initiative, including $100,127 to provide recruitment incentives to fourth-year medical students who enter the Cahaba+UAB Family Medicine Residency rural or frontier track and commit to at least five years of rural service in three counties (Bibb, Perry, Wilcox).

Rural obstetric training capacity at four Alabama hospitals for physicians to provide maternity care in four counties Bibb, Coffee, Dallas, and Talladega counties was established with a second grant of $430,304.

The DCH Health Care Authority – $3 million to recruit and retain two interventional cardiologists, one heart rhythm specialist and two advanced practice providers to strengthen access to cardiovascular care in several west Alabama counties (Tuscaloosa, Fayette, Pickens, Greene, Hale, Lamar, Perry, Sumter, Marengo, Choctaw, Bibb).

East Alabama Health Care Authority – $1.5 million to establish a new rural family medicine residency program to train and retain more primary care physicians to serve nine counties (Barbour, Bullock, Chambers, Clay, Elmore, Lee, Randolph, Talladega, Tallapoosa).

Faulkner University – $975,000 to establish a rural healthcare workforce program that provides tuition assistance to eligible health profession students who commit to five years of employment in rural Alabama and support housing, travel and related costs for students completing rural clinical rotations in 58 counties (Baldwin, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Butler, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Chilton, Choctaw, Clarke, Clay, Cleburne, Coffee, Conecuh, Coosa, Covington, Crenshaw, Cullman, Dale, Dallas, DeKalb, Elmore, Escambia, Etowah, Fayette, Franklin, Geneva, Greene, Hale, Henry, Jackson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Marion, Marshall, Mobile, Monroe, Morgan, Perry, Pickens, Pike, Randolph, Shelby, St. Clair, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Walker, Washington, Wilcox, Winston).

Infirmary Health System Inc. – $342,147 to establish structured rural clinical rotations for internal medicine residents to strengthen the physician workforce pipeline and expand supervised clinical capacity in five counties (Baldwin, Clarke, Escambia, Mobile, Washington).

Professional Medical Associates PC – $800,000 to provide recruitment and retention incentives for clinicians, onboarding support, technology modernization, and expanded patient access to address clinician shortages, large provider panel sizes, and chronic disease burden (Coffee, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Geneva).

Regional Training Institute – $1.38 million to purchase and equip two mobile training units to bring hands-on emergency medical services training to rural residents who may have difficulty traveling to a training location. The project will serve 36 counties (Bibb, Blount, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Chilton, Coosa, Covington, Crenshaw, Cullman, Dallas, DeKalb, Elmore, Etowah, Fayette, Franklin, Hale, Jackson, Jefferson, Lamar, Lawrence, Limestone, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Marion, Marshall, Morgan, Perry, Pickens, Randolph, Shelby, St. Clair, Talladega, Walker, Winston).

Troy University – $118,070 to establish an interprofessional training program that brings nursing and emergency medical services students together through virtual clinical simulations to strengthen communication and coordination during patient handoffs in Coffee and Pike counties.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham – The university received two grants from this initiative, including $7 million to strengthen Alabama’s rural primary care workforce by expanding the pipeline for recruiting, training and retaining physicians for rural practice to serve 35 counties (Baldwin, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, Chilton, Coffee, Cullman, Dallas, DeKalb, Elmore, Etowah, Fayette, Franklin, Hale, Jackson, Jefferson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lee, Limestone, Madison, Marengo, Marion, Marshall, Mobile, Montgomery, Shelby, St. Clair, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Walker, Winston).

A youth workforce development program to expose high school students to careers in emergency medical services, emergency preparedness and public health response in Jefferson, Mobile, Sumter, Tuscaloosa, and Wilcox counties was established by a second grant of $887,616.

The University of South Alabama – $1.25 million to strengthen the rural healthcare workforce by expanding physician residency training in rural settings and developing training and support for community health workers, telehealth implementation and healthcare revenue-cycle staff in 17 counties (Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Dallas, Escambia, Greene, Hale, Lowndes, Marengo, Monroe, Perry, Sumter, Washington, Wilcox).

Rural Health Practice Initiative

Cahaba Medical Care Foundation – The foundation has received two grants under this initiative, including one for $69,159 to replace Cahaba Medical Care’s current telehealth platform with a more user-friendly system to improve reliable access to virtual primary care and behavioral health services for rural patients (Bibb, Chilton, Marengo, Perry, Wilcox).

The Foundation will establish a Federally Qualified Health Center service site in Selma by completing targeted renovations and purchasing equipment for existing medical office space in Dallas County with a second grant of $280,579.

City of Jackson Healthcare Authority DBA Jackson Medical Center – $158,215 to modernize aging clinical and office equipment at Family Medical of Jackson to maintain reliable access to primary care in rural communities (Clarke, Washington).

East Alabama Health Care Authority – $731,055 for an integrated school-based and mobile healthcare initiative to expand access to primary, preventative, behavioral health and chronic disease services for students, workers and underserved residents in Bullock County in partnership with Auburn University College of Nursing (Bullock).

Franklin Primary Health Center – $881,190 to expand clinic-based behavioral health services across the health center’s rural primary care network to improve access to counseling, care coordination and follow-up support closer to home (Baldwin, Choctaw, Conecuh, Escambia, Monroe).

City of York Health Care Authority DBA Hill Hospital of Sumter County – $677,120 to establish the Sumter County Pediatric Clinic on the Hill Hospital campus to expand access to pediatric primary care for children and adolescents in a rural area without a practicing pediatrician (Sumter, Tuscaloosa).

Troy University – $60,000 for the School of Nursing to establish TROY COMPASS, a peer mentorship and rural workforce development program that will support nursing students throughout Bachelor of Science in Nursing program and strengthen the pipeline of nurses prepared to serve rural communities (Pike).

The University of Alabama at Birmingham – $974,084 for Selma Family Medicine to modernize its technology and care coordination systems to strengthen rural primary care and prepare the clinic for expanded specialty access through telehealth (Dallas).

Mental Health Initiative

AltaPointe Health Systems – $935,895 to establish the Alabama School Mental Health Network to expand school-based mental health crisis services through a coordinated telehealth model, helping students in rural communities receive timely support during a behavioral health crisis (Autauga, Baldwin, Bibb, Blount, Chambers, Cherokee, Chilton, Choctaw, Clay, Coosa, Dallas, DeKalb, Elmore, Etowah, Fayette, Franklin, Greene, Hale, Jackson, Jefferson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lee, Limestone, Lowndes, Marengo, Marion, Marshall, Mobile, Montgomery, Morgan, Perry, Pickens, Randolph, Shelby, St. Clair, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Walker, Washington, Wilcox).

Cahaba Medical Care Foundation – $958,307 to expand school-based behavioral health services in Bibb County and establish new services in Perry County to improve students’ access to mental health care (Bibb, Perry).

Montgomery Area Mental Health Authority DBA Carastar Health – $1.04 million to expand behavioral health services and strengthen operational infrastructure to support Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic certification and improve access to coordinated care in rural communities (Elmore, Lowndes).

Southwest Alabama Behavioral Health Care Systems DBA CarePath Behavioral Health – $865,600 to expand access to mental health and substance abuse disorder services and strengthen five rural locations as they transition to the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic model (Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia, Monroe).

River Region Psychiatry Associates LLC – $600,550 to establish a mobile school-based behavioral health program to improve access to mental health services for students in rural schools in Marengo County (Marengo).

Rural Health Medical Program Inc. – $660,527 to establish school-based behavioral health services to improve access to mental health care for students in rural communities in six west Alabama counties (Clarke, Dallas, Marengo, Monroe, Perry, Wilcox).

“To say that there is great interest in improving rural healthcare in Alabama is an understatement," said ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell. "This announcement comes at the end of a process that included six packed-house informational meetings in different locations throughout the state, five grant application workshops and hundreds of grant applications.

“I appreciate the confidence that Gov. Ivey and the Legislature have in ADECA’s ability to administer this important program, and we are excited to now see so many projects moving forward.”