Telehealth and Health Information Technology in Rural Healthcare – Funding & Opportunities

Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program Grants
Grants to help rural communities use advanced telecommunications technology to connect to each other (and the world) overcoming the effects of remoteness and low population density. Projects that promote equity and economic opportunity in rural America are encouraged.

Rural Health Care Program – Healthcare Connect Fund
Provides assistance to healthcare providers for eligible expenses related to broadband connectivity at a flat discounted rate of 65%. Participants can apply as a member of a consortium or a stand-alone entity.

Rural Health Care Telecommunications (Telecom) Program
Assistance to healthcare providers for eligible expenses related to telecommunications and voice services for the use of telemedicine and telehealth.

National Telehealth Resource Center Program
Supports the establishment and development of 2 National Telehealth Resource Centers (TRCs) that provide technical assistance to 12 Regional TRCs with a focus on telehealth policy and technology.

Regional Telehealth Resource Center Program
Supports the establishment and development of 12 Regional Telehealth Resource Centers (TRCs) that provide support to healthcare organizations, networks, and providers for telehealth implementation and training for rural areas, frontier communities, and medically underserved areas, as well as for medically underserved populations.

Telehealth Rapid Response Center Grant
Funding for the Telehealth Rapid Response Center which will conduct rapid telehealth data analyses and short-term, issue-specific telehealth research studies to provide stakeholders and the public with resources to understand the impact of telehealth policies and regulations. It will also provide information to improve telehealth access for underserved populations in the United States.

Telehealth Research Center
Funding for a Telehealth Research Center to conduct clinically informed and policy-relevant health services research to expand the evidence base for telehealth services.

Leveraging Health Information Technology (Health IT) to Address Minority Health and Health Disparities (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
Grants for research that examines how health information technology adoption impacts minority health and health disparity populations in access to care, quality of care, patient engagement, and health outcomes.

Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program (REDL and REDG)
Loans and grants to assist in the economic development of rural areas, including funds for healthcare facilities and equipment, telecommunications networks, and job creation projects.

Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Assessing Real-World Effectiveness and Implementation of Telehealth-Guided Provider-to-Provider Communication among Rural Communities
Notice of Special Interest for research that generates evidence on the real-world effectiveness of telehealth collaboration among healthcare providers for consultation, second opinions, and other purposes, referred to as provider-to-provider telehealth (PPT). PPT offers remote access to critical health expertise that might not exist locally in some rural communities.