Montgomery, Ala., May 20, 2021 – Acting State Director Allen Bowen today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting applications for grants to improve health care in the Delta region, which includes 20 counties in Alabama.
USDA is making up to $3 million in grants available through the Delta Health Care Services Grant Program. The funding may be used to support activities such as health education programs, health care services, job training in health care fields, and developing or expanding public health facilities.
“The Delta region in Alabama includes some of the most rural parts of the state,” Bowen said. “It’s important for rural residents to have access to quality healthcare that is local to them. Through programs such as this one, the USDA is working to improve the quality of life for rural Americans, because when rural America thrives, all of America thrives.”
The program is a collaborative effort among health care professionals, institutions of higher education, research centers and other entities. Projects funded under this program must serve the Delta region. This includes 20 counties across west and central Alabama: Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Dallas, Escambia, Greene, Hale, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Monroe, Perry, Pickens, Russell, Sumter, Washington, and Wilcox counties.
USDA encourages applications that will support the Biden administration’s goal to reduce morbidity and mortality. This includes applications for programs and services to address substance use disorder (including opioid misuse) in high-risk rural communities by strengthening the capacity to address prevention, treatment and/or recovery.
The minimum grant award is $50,000. The maximum award is $1 million. Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis.
Completed applications for grants must be submitted electronically by no later than midnight Eastern Standard Time July 19, 2021 through http://www.grants.gov.
For additional information, see page 27370 of the May 20, 2021, Federal Register.
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, Tribal and high-poverty areas. To learn more, visit www.rd.usda.gov/al.
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