Pennsylvania Department of Health Provides Grants for Community-Based Primary Care Health Centers

HARRISBURG, Pa., Dec. 9, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Karen Murphy announced today the availability of grants to expand and improve health care access and services at community-based health centers serving underserved communities. The grants are available through the department's Community-Based Health Care Program.

"The Department of Health believes that every Pennsylvanian deserves access to proper health care resources," said Secretary Murphy. "By making this funding available to organizations that provide medical services to underserved communities, we are helping to protect some of Pennsylvania's most vulnerable residents."

Act 10 of 2013 established the Community-Based Health Care Program in the Department of Health. The program awards grants annually through a competitive application process to eligible not-for-profit health centers that assist underserved populations, as well as those centers located in federally-designated health professional shortage areas or medically underserved areas.

The current Request for Applications (RFA) will fund grants for a period of 24 months beginning July 1, 2016. Applications are due on January 13, 2016.

"These grants will make a great impact on economically disadvantaged areas in Pennsylvania," said Deputy Secretary Dr. Lauren Hughes. "We hope that many community-based health centers consider applying for this funding."

Grant funding, ranging from $100,000 to $600,000, is available for the following types of projects:

• Development of a new community-based health care clinic in an underserved community;
• Expansion of primary health services at an existing community-based clinic;
• Addition or expansion of prenatal, obstetric, postpartum, and newborn care services at an existing community-based clinic;
• Development of an alternate health care delivery system administered by an existing community-based clinic to improve services and access and reduce the use of hospital emergency departments; and
• Implementation of collaborative relationships between an existing community-based clinic and local hospitals and health care providers to establish primary health clinic medical homes for patients without primary care providers.

To review the funding announcement and access the RFA, click here.

MEDIA CONTACT: Amy Worden, Health, 717-787-1783

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Health

Related Links

http://www.state.pa.us