This notice announces the opportunity to apply for funding under the Delta Region Community Health Systems Development Program (DRCHSD). The purpose of this program is to improve healthcare delivery in the Delta region through intensive, multi-year technical assistance to eligible healthcare facilities, including critical access hospitals (CAHs), small rural hospitals, rural health clinics, tribal healthcare facilities and other healthcare organizations located in the 252 parishes and counties of the Mississippi Delta region. Under this cooperative agreement, the award recipient will work with the selected communities across the eight state Mississippi Delta Region to make in-depth health system enhancements over multiple years. The award recipient will implement a phased approach that: • Outlines a collaborative process for identifying high need communities in the Delta Region; • Conducts an objective community analysis and assessment of financial status, quality indicators, locally available human services and gaps; • Assesses how telehealth can help address the identified clinical service gaps and the availability of affordable broadband services; • Develops a community assets and needs assessment within each identified community; • Develops and implements a strategic plan for the provision of technical assistance for the local hospital and other rural providers in the selected communities; • Provides technical assistance to each selected site based on the strategic plan for finance, quality, and telehealth and population health service coordination; and • Evaluates the impact of the technical assistance. The DRCHSD award recipient will provide targeted technical assistance to selected rural hospitals in need. Rural hospitals are eligible to receive targeted assistance from the DRCHSD recipient. For this cooperative agreement, “rural hospitals” are defined as short-term, non-federal general facilities located outside metropolitan Core-Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs), or located within metropolitan areas in locations with Rural-Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) codes of four (4) or greater, or facilities in any location participating in Medicare as CAHs. Hospitals operated by tribes and tribal organizations under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (Public Law 93-638, as amended) are also eligible.
