Small Rural Hospital Improvement Grant Program

 

The Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program supports eligible small rural hospitals in meeting value-based payment and care goals for their respective organizations through purchases of hardware, software, and training.

Active 93.301 Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services B - Project Grants Fiscal Year 2020 SHIP supported 1,664 small rural hospitals in meeting value-based payment and care goals through purchases of hardware, software and training. Hospitals utilized funding to participate in accountable care organizations and shared savings programs; and to purchase health information technology, equipment, training to comply with quality improvement activities, such as advancing patient care information, promoting interoperability, and payment bundling. The SHIP-COVID program provided one-time funding to support 1,790 hospitals in preventing, preparing for, and responding to the COVID-19 public health emergency. The funding supports small rural hospitals experiencing increased demands for clinical services and equipment, as well as short-term financial and workforce challenges in responding to the needs of patients seeking care at their facilities.
Fiscal Year 2021 SHIP supported 1,664 small rural hospitals in meeting value-based payment and care goals through purchases of hardware, software and training. Hospitals utilized funding to participate in accountable care organizations and shared savings programs; and to purchase health information technology, equipment, training to comply with quality improvement activities, such as advancing patient care information, promoting interoperability, and payment bundling. The SHIP-COVID program provided one-time funding in FY 2020 to support 1,790 hospitals in preventing, preparing for, and responding to the COVID-19 public health emergency. The funding supported small rural hospitals experiencing increased demands for clinical services and equipment, as well as short-term financial and workforce challenges in responding to the needs of patients seeking care at their facilities.
Fiscal Year 2022 SHIP supported 1,665 small rural hospitals in meeting value-based payment and care goals through purchases of hardware, software and training. Hospitals utilized funding to participate in accountable care organizations and shared savings programs; and to purchase health information technology, equipment, training to comply with quality improvement activities, such as advancing patient care information, promoting interoperability, and payment bundling. Section 1820(g) (3) (F) (ii) (I) of Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395i-4 (g) (3), as amended by Section 3129 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), P.L. 111-148. The State Office of Rural Health (SORH) will be the official award recipient acting as fiscal intermediary for all eligible hospitals within its state. Each SORH will be charged with organizing the distribution of funds to eligible hospitals. Eligible hospitals within the territories that do not have access to a SORH apply to the SHIP program individually. Tribally operated hospitals under Titles I and V of P.L. 93-638 are eligible to apply. Rural Small rural hospitals must meet the following eligibility requirements in order to be eligible for SHIP funds: 1) "eligible small rural hospital" is defined as a non-federal, short-term general acute care hospital that: (i) is located in a rural area as defined in 42 U.S.C. 1395ww(d) and (ii) has 49 available beds or fewer, as reported on the hospital's most recently filed Medicare Cost Report; 2) "rural area" is defined as either: (1) located outside of a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA); (2) located within a rural census tract of a MSA, as determined under the Goldsmith Modification or the Rural Urban Commuting Areas (RUCAs) or (3) is being treated as if being located in a rural area pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 1395(d)(8)(E); and, 3) Eligible small rural hospitals may be for-profit or not-for-profit, including faith-based. Hospitals in U.S. territories as well as tribally operated hospitals under Titles I and V of P.L. 93-638 are eligible to the extent that such hospitals meet the above criteria. Applicants should review the individual (NOFO) issued under this assistance listing program for any required proof or certifications which must be submitted prior to or simultaneous with submission of an application package. Preapplication coordination is not applicable. 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. HRSA requires all applicants to apply electronically through Grants.gov. All qualified applications will be forwarded to an objective review committee. Based on the advice of the objective review committee, the HRSA program official with delegated authority is responsible for final selection and funding decisions. Notification is made in writing by a Notice of Award (NoA). Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines From 120 to 180 days. Up to six months. Not applicable. Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program awards may be made for up to 5-year project periods. Subject to availability of funds, after initial awards, projects may be renewed non-competitively contingent upon submission and approval of an application, availability of appropriated funds, and awardee's satisfactory performance. Applicants will be evaluated based on: (1) extent to which applicant is responsive to the requirements and purposes of this program; and (2) extent to which application describes need, strategies, and investment to address those needs. All funds awarded are to be expended solely for carrying out the approved projects. Not applicable. In accordance with the provisions of 2 CFR 200, Subpart F - Audit Requirements, nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $750,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Non-Federal entities that expend less than $750,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in 2 CFR 200.503 Refer to the NOFO for information. An electronic quarterly Federal Financial Report (FFR) is due to the Division of Payment Management within 30 days of the end of each quarter. A final FFR must be submitted to HRSA via the Electronic HandBooks (EHB) within 90 days of the end of each budget period. Awardees are required to maintain grant accounting records 3 years after the date they submit the Federal Financial Report (FFR). If any litigation, claim, negotiation, audit or other action involving the award has been started before the expiration of the 3-year period, the records shall be retained until completion of the action and resolution of all issues which arise from it, or until the end of the regular 3-year period, whichever is later. Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. Awards are made annually and payment is made through the DHHS Payment Management System (PMS). Awardee drawdown funds, as necessary, from PMS. PMS is the centralized web based payment system for HHS awards. https://beta.sam.gov/organization/100008531#regional-locations Krista Mastel, Program Coordinator
Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
Rockville, MD 20857 USA
KMastel@hrsa.gov
Phone: (301) 443-0491 http://www.hrsa.gov 75-0350-0-1-550 (Project Grants) FY 22$20,720,970.00; FY 23 est $16,364,406.00; FY 24 est $20,734,674.00; FY 21$21,359,104.00; FY 20$19,075,993.00; FY 19$19,137,793.00; - Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program Range = $39,936 to $1,570,816. $450,735 (average award amount). This program is subject to the provisions of 45 CFR Part 92 for State, local and tribal governments and 45 CFR Part 74 for institutions of higher education, hospitals, other nonprofit organizations and commercial organizations, as applicable. HRSA awards are subject to the requirements of the HHS Grants Policy Statement (HHS GPS) that are applicable based on recipient type and purpose of award. The HHS GPS is available at http://www.hrsa.gov/grants. Not applicable.