This notice announces the opportunity to apply for funding under the Rural Telementoring Training Center (RTTC) Program. The purpose of this program is to train academic medical centers or other centers of excellence to create or expand technology-enabled collaborative learning and capacity building (telementoring) models to support health care providers in rural areas. Telementoring models include Project ECHO, Project ECHO-like models, and other emerging models in the field including but not limited to Provider-to-Provider Telehealth.1 Telementoring connects primary care providers and care teams treating patients with complex chronic conditions with specialists.2 By using telementoring to connect primary care providers and care teams in rural areas with specialists at academic medical centers or other centers of excellence for training and support, rural patients are more likely to receive necessary care from providers in their local communities. Therefore, it is vital for the RTTC Program award recipient to assist in the development of strategies focused on improving the retention of rural providers and enhancing health care outcomes for rural patients with complex conditions in order to improve health care in rural areas.
The RTTC Program award recipient will provide technical assistance (TA) resources that are national in scope, freely accessible, and meet the needs of rural communities and health care providers. Technical assistance will be provided through a variety of modalities including individual consults, trainings, webinars, online tools, and resources. This program does not support direct patient care services.
The tools and resources developed by the RTTC will enhance rural patients’ access to quality care along with fostering and supporting workforce development and retention for rural health care providers. This cooperative agreement aligns with HRSA’s goals of fostering a health care workforce to address current and emerging needs, improving access to quality health services, achieving health equity, and enhancing population health.
