Rural Public Health Workforce Training Network Program

For programmatic or technical questions:
Amber Berrian, MPH
301.443.0845
RPHWTNP@hrsa.gov

For grants management or budget questions:
Nancy Gaines
301.443.5382
ngaines@hrsa.gov

The Rural Public Health Workforce Training Network (RPHWTN) Program will provide funding to support rural health networks to address the need for more trained health professionals, which has been amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Program goals include:

• Establish a strong network of local healthcare and social service providers and educational institutions to create training programs focused on addressing the rural workforce needs in four critical public health tracks:
  • Track #1 - Community Health Support
  • Track #2 - Health IT and/or Telehealth Technical Support
  • Track #3 - Community Para-Medicine
  • Track #4 - Case Management Staff and/or Respiratory Therapists
• Develop innovative workforce approaches to expand healthcare capacity affected by COVID-19, such as cross-training staff to help support business operations and equipping public health professionals with the skills to engage in population health
• Identify formal and sustainable pathways with rural health facilities to eventually employ or rely on the public health professionals who complete the RPHWTN funded training/education to obtain high-quality, good-paying jobs
• Design or expand culturally and linguistically appropriate workforce trainings that will enhance the competency of the rural health workforce in order to improve healthcare in rural communities
• Develop approaches in training current/existing staff to maximize their clinical and operational capacity

Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Domestic public, private, nonprofit, or for-profit entity with demonstrated experience serving, or the capacity to serve, rural underserved populations, including faith-based, community-based organizations, tribes, and tribal organizations
• Represent a network composed of participants that (1) includes at least 3 healthcare provider organizations and (2) may be rural, urban, nonprofit or for-profit entities, with at least 66% (two-thirds) of network members located in a HRSA-designated rural area
• Has not previously received a grant under this program for the same or similar project, unless proposing to expand the scope of the project or the area that will be served through the project

Networks may be composed of, but are not limited to:

• Minority-serving institutions
• Community colleges
• Technical colleges
• Rural hospitals
• Community health centers
• Nursing homes
• Substance use providers

Award ceiling: $1,545,000 for the full period of performance
Project period: 3 years
Estimated number of awards: 31
Estimated total program funding: $47,895,000

Links to the full announcement, application instructions, and the online application process are available through grants.gov.

Applicant webinar recording