Healthcare Compliance |
March 13, 2024
| Medi-Products
Use a HRSA Grant to Fund Your Emergency Power System
Who Is HRSA?
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is a US federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). HRSA is responsible for helping to provide access to healthcare for people who are isolated, uninsured, or otherwise regarded as medically vulnerable, and carries out these duties through sources that are applied as grants. Through these grants, the agency supports a wide variety of projects, including the provision of health services, facility infrastructure, and training of healthcare workers. Receiving an HRSA grant can mean a timely injection of funds for community healthcare clinics and other care centers, however knowing who these grants apply to and what they can be used for, will be vital in qualifying for an award for these funds.
What are HRSA Grants?
The HRSA plays an important role in providing access to healthcare within communities across the US, and grants are central to this. Essentially, these grants are federally sourced funds that are disbursed to specific organizations which are typically non-federal entities (NFEs). For instance, HRSA provides grants with funding from the Affordable Care Act (ACA), under the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Visiting Program.
HRSA was recently charged with administering certain portions of funding provided under the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act, passed into law on March 11, 2021. The Act provides one-time financial assistance for health centers that receive funding from the Health Center Program which the HRSA oversees. The total package available to health centers under this program is $6.1 billion to be disbursed over a performance period of two years.
In administering these funds, the HRSA disburses assistance in the form of grants to qualifying organizations. Qualifying organizations may submit applications based on the program criteria, and receive these grants. According to the agency, a grant may include “money, property, or direct help” which may be awarded to a qualified NFE. For instance, here’s a list of how much certain grantees in California received under the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act.
What Can These Grants Be Used For?
Funding provided under HRSA grants are expected to be applied in accordance with the program criteria. Award recipients receive guidelines that stipulate what grant monies can be used for, when they can be used, and in what manner they can be applied.
Take the funding provided under the American Rescue Plan Act for instance. The HRSA specifies that funds provided under the program are allowed to be used only for six broad activities:
- Administration of COVID-19 vaccines, including promotion, distribution, and administration of the vaccine
- Detection, diagnosis, and treatment of COVID-19, including contract tracing, testing, treatment, mitigation, and allied activities
- Sourcing of equipment, supplies, and personnel that are necessary to aid testing for and vaccination against COVID-19, particularly in medically underserved areas
- Expanding and sustaining the capacity of healthcare workforce to prevent and respond to COVID-19
- Enhancement and expansion of healthcare services and infrastructure
- Carrying out community outreach and education activities related to COVID-19
This list is not exhaustive however, and the HRSA informs grantees that there may be other allowable uses of funds for activities that are incidental to, or consistent with the outlined activities. These guidelines give healthcare organizations wide scope as to what the funds may be used for. Products such as new refrigerators and freezers, data loggers, and vaccine refrigerator battery backup systems, would all fall within these categories.
In certain cases, grantees may also apply funding to pre-award costs dating back to January 31, 2020. It is important to note that the use of grant funds is highly regulated, and recipients are required to complete extensive budget and expense reports that detail how grant monies have been applied and what activities were carried out.
How to apply for HRSA grants
The HRSA provides extensive support to NFEs looking to apply for the grants it administers. Usually, the agency will provide award submission guidance in the form of a document that details what organizations qualify for funding, how they may apply, and what documents will be required. The HRSA also typically holds info sessions to guide applicants on the process and to answer any questions they might have about the proposed grant.
Here’s a brief step-by-step approach to applying for these grants and the things to keep in mind:
- Find the relevant funding opportunity. The process starts with knowing the specific grant you wish to apply for. You can find a list of available HRSA grants here.
- Download the submission guidance and application. It is critical to access and procure all of the application information about the program before applying. There will be forms to download and templates to fill out.
- Attend info sessions. Apart from the hard copy information you receive, the extra guidance from info sessions will be invaluable. They can help add important context to the paper guidance.
- Complete the application. Be certain to stick closely to the guidelines for an acceptable application.
- Submit in line with requirements. Submission should also be according to the guidelines. Be sure to include all of the information that is requested, or specify where the required information is not available, with acceptable reasons.
- You can also contact the HRSA Grants Customer Support Center directly if you have any specific questions.
Conclusion
Although it can be a lot of work to qualify for, and secure these funds, community healthcare clinics can use these HRSA grants to make a real difference in their communities. At Mediproducts, a number of our clients have taken steps to protect their valuable life-saving vaccines from power outages, through means of these grants Hopefully, the information we have provided here can take you a step closer towards a successful application and receiving the funding you need.
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