$1 Billion Invested in Rural Health Care Across 13 States
Ed. note: This is cross-posted on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's blog. See the original post here.
In late 2011, the President announced a White House Rural Council initiative lead by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to invest in rural health and link rural doctors and hospitals to financing for health IT. The initiative was designed to address the need for financing to support the adoption of health IT systems in rural communities. Financing has been cited as one of the top challenges for rural doctors and hospitals serving remote and poor communities.
Between 2012 and 2014, the HHS and USDA led initiative generated approximately $1 Billion in rural health care financing across 13 states. These investments, funded by USDA, included grants and loans to help rural clinics and hospitals transition from paper to electronic health records (EHRs), encourage exchange of health information with health care providers and patients, and offer telehealth services.
Since it launched in 2012, the initiative has expanded access to financing for rural health care needs through cross-government collaboration and partnerships with non-Government organizations—including bringing together diverse teams to achieve common goals and using existing programs in innovative ways.