93.211: Telehealth Programs

93.211

Active

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) [HHS]

Aug. 10, 2022

Aug. 10, 2022

The purpose of the Telehealth Network Program (TNGP) is to fund programs that demonstrate how telehealth networks improve healthcare services in rural communities. The current cohort is aimed towards promoting rural Tele-emergency services by enhancing telehealth networks to deliver 24-hour Emergency Department (ED) consultation services via telehealth to rural providers without emergency care specialists.. The National Telehealth Resource Center Program (NTRC) and the Regional Telehealth Resource Center Program (RTRC) are designed to expand the availability of technical assistance in the development of telehealth services, leveraging the experience of mature programs with expertise in providing and implementing telehealth services. In Fiscal Year 2020, additional funds were allocated to the program to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Efforts include promoting the use of telehealth to reduce the risk of COVID-19, enhancing readiness and training to respond to COVID-19 through telehealth, and providing access to telehealth to limit the spread of COVID-19. The Licensure Portability Program (LPP) supports state professional licensing boards to carry out programs under which licensing boards of various states cooperate to develop and implement state laws and related policies that will reduce statutory and regulatory barriers to the provision of health care services through telemedicine technology. In Fiscal Year 2020, additional funds were allocated to the program to increase the ability to address the COVID 19 pandemic. Efforts include adding new capacity to aid in helping a range of clinicians working with different boards (e.g., nurses, psychologists) develop and implement strategies that will encourage a streamlined process for multi-state licensure procedure(s). The Evidence-Based Telehealth Network Program (EB-TNP) The current cohort supports the use of telehealth networks to increase access to behavioral health care services in rural and frontier communities. While the Evidence-Based Tele-Behavioral Health Network Program seeks to expand access to services for rural patients, its primary goal is to significantly contribute to the evidence base for assessing the effectiveness of tele-behavioral health care services for patients, providers, and payers. Funding for this cohort will end August 31, 2021. The program will start a new project period on September 1, 2021 and the primary aims of the program will be the following: demonstrating how healthcare systems can increase access to healthcare services utilizing Direct to Consumer technologies and conducting evaluations of those efforts to establish an evidence base for assessing the effectiveness of Direct to Patient telehealth care for patients, providers, and payers. The Telehealth Center of Excellence (COEs) assess specific telehealth uses, operate as incubators to pilot, track and refine telehealth, examine the efficacy of telehealth services in rural and urban areas and explore new telehealth applications for telehealth research and resources. The programs focus on the delivery and impact of telehealth across diagnosis based projects, numerous care settings and telehealth education and incorporate wide ranging technology and modalities to advance telehealth. Telehealth Technology-Enabled Learning Program (TTELP) purpose is to connect specialists at academic medical centers with primary care providers in rural and underserved areas, providing evidence-based training and support to help them treat patients with complex conditions in their communities. TTELP recipients will develop telehealth technology-enabled collaborative learning and capacity building models (such as Project ECHO, ECHO-like models, distance learning, tele-mentoring, clinical decision support, and other emerging models in the field), and share freely accessible tools and resources that are adaptable to culturally and regionally diverse populations to provide training nationwide to facilitate the dissemination of best practice specialty care to primary care providers and care teams in rural and underserved areas. Telehealth Broadband Pilot (TBP) Program aims to assess the broadband capacity available to rural healthcare providers and patient communities and to improve their ability to participate in telehealth services through cross-agency collaboration. A Telehealth Resource Center will implement the TBP in four state community locations, including Alaska, Michigan, Texas and West Virginia. TTAC will also work with the Rural Telehealth Initiative’s federal partners to improve rural communities’ access to broadband and telehealth services through existing funding opportunities and grant programs. A Telehealth-Focused Research Center will evaluate the TBP program across all participating communities

B - Project Grants

Telehealth Network Grant Program (TNGP) - Eligible applicants shall be domestic public or private, non-profit or for-profit entities with demonstrated experience utilizing telehealth technologies to serve rural underserved populations. This includes faith-based, community-based organizations, and federally-recognized tribes and tribal organizations. National Telehealth Resource Center Program (NTRC) and Regional Telehealth Resource Center Program (RTRC) - Eligible applicants include public, private non-profit and for-profit entities. Faith-based and community-based organizations, Tribes, and tribal organizations are eligible to apply. Licensure Portability Grant Program (LPGP) - Eligible applicants are limited by statute to state professional licensing boards. Eligible applicants include domestic public or private entities. Evidence-Based Telehealth Network Program (EB-TNP) – • FY18 EB THNP Funding: Eligible applicants shall be domestic public or private, non-profit entities. This includes faith-based, community-based organizations, and tribes and tribal organizations. • FY21 EB THNP Funding; Eligible applicants shall be domestic public or private, non-profit or for-profit entities with demonstrated experience utilizing telehealth technologies to serve rural underserved populations. This includes faith-based, community-based organizations, and federally-recognized tribes and tribal organizations. The Telehealth Centers of Excellence Program - Eligible applicants must be public academic medical centers located in states with high chronic disease prevalence, high poverty rates, and a large percentage of medically underserved rural areas. The Telehealth Centers of Excellence will be located in a public academic medical center that: 1. Has a successful telehealth program with a high annual volume of telehealth visits; 2. Has an established reimbursement structure that allows telehealth services to be financially self-sustaining; and 3. Has established programs that provide telehealth services in medically underserved areas with high chronic disease prevalence and high poverty rates. Telehealth Technology-Enabled Learning Program (TTELP) All domestic public and private entities, nonprofit and for-profit, are eligible to apply. Domestic faith-based and community-based organizations, tribes, and tribal organizations and organizations based in the territories and freely associated states are also eligible to apply. Telehealth Broadband Pilot Program - Eligible applicants are limited by applicant eligibility requirements to the Telehealth Resource Centers and the Telehealth-Focused Research Center.

Telehealth Network Grant Program (TNGP) - Health care providers in rural areas, in medically underserved areas, in frontier communities, and for medically underserved populations. TNGP grantees include in the network at least two (2) of the following entities (at least one (1) of which shall be a community-based health care provider: (a) community or migrant health centers or other federally qualified health centers; (b) health care providers, including pharmacists, in private practice; (c) entities operating clinics, including rural health clinics; (d) local health departments; (e) nonprofit hospitals, including community (critical) access hospitals; (f) other publicly funded health or social service agencies; (g) long-term care providers; (h) providers of health care services in the home; (i) providers of outpatient mental health services and entities operating outpatient mental health facilities; (j) local or regional emergency health care providers; (k) institutions of higher education; or (l) entities operating dental clinics; and (m) school based health centers/clinics. National Telehealth Resource Center Program (NTRC) and Regional Telehealth Resource Center Program (RTRC) - Health care providers in rural areas, in medically underserved areas, in frontier communities, and medically underserved populations. The TRCs must support the activities of existing or developing telehealth networks to meet the health care needs of rural or other populations to be served, including the improvement of access to services and the quality of the services received by those populations. American Indian and/or Alaska Native Tribal Organizations are eligible beneficiaries provided those organizations meet the beneficiary requirements above. Licensure Portability Grant Program (LPGP) - State professional licensing boards carry out programs under which licensing boards of various states cooperate to develop and implement state policies that will reduce statutory and regulatory barriers to telemedicine. State licensing boards, their members, and the general public are beneficiaries of the services conducted under this grant. Evidence-Based Tele-Emergency Network Grant Program (EB TNGP) - The Tele-Emergency Network shall include at least five members. Network members may include representation from the following categories: Hospitals, including community (critical) access hospitals; Local or regional emergency health care providers; Institutions of higher education with experience in data collection and analysis including but not limited to claims-level data; Medical research institutions; Tertiary providers with specialized experience in emergency medicine, stroke and the use of telehealth services in those clinical areas. The Rural Child Poverty Telehealth Network Grant Program (RCP-TNGP) - Health care providers serving rural areas and frontier communities. The RCP-TNGP Network shall include at least two (2) of the following entities (at least one of which shall be a community-based health care provider): Community or migrant health centers or other federally-qualified health centers; Health care providers, including pharmacists, in private practice; Entities operating clinics, including rural health clinics; Local health departments; Nonprofit hospitals, including community access hospitals; Other publicly funded health or human/social service agencies; Long-term care providers; Providers of health care services in the home; Providers of outpatient mental health services and entities operating outpatient mental health facilities; Local or regional emergency health care providers; Institutions of higher education; and Entities operating dental clinics. If available in their area, applicants should consider partnering or collaborating with other federally-funded programs that target or have demonstrable effects on the health of impoverished children living in rural areas, including: USDA Cooperative Extension System Offices; Healthy Start; Healthy Tomorrows Partnership for Children; WIC; Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visitation programs; Head Start and Early Head Start; Temporary Assistance to Needy Families; Community Action Agencies; and other human/social service-focused providers. The Substance Abuse Treatment Telehealth Network Grant Program (SAT-TNGP) - The network must include at least two (2) of the following entities (at least one of which shall be a community-based health care provider): (a) Small hospital (defined as less than 50 available beds, as reported on the hospital’s most recently filed Medicare Cost Report); (b) Community or migrant health centers or other federally-qualified health centers; (c) Health care providers, including pharmacists, in private practice; (d) entities operating clinics, including rural health clinics; (e) local health departments; (f) nonprofit hospitals, including community (critical) access hospitals; (g) other publicly funded health or social service agencies; (h) long-term care providers; (i) providers of health care services in the home; (j) providers of outpatient mental health services and entities operating outpatient mental health facilities; (k) local or regional emergency health care providers; (l) institutions of higher education; or (m) entities operating dental clinics. As noted in the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2017 (Public Law No. 115-31), preference will be given to networks that include small hospitals serving communities with high rates of poverty, unemployment, and substance abuse. The Telehealth Center of Excellence Program (COE) - Health care providers in rural areas, in medically underserved areas, in frontier communities, and medically underserved populations. The TRCs must support the activities of existing or developing telehealth networks to meet the health care needs of rural or other populations to be served, including the improvement of access to services and the quality of the services received by those populations.

https://sam.gov/fal/402a869219ce4ead937ac6bd8cebbddb/view