Expanding Access to Health Care in Rural Areas, Improving Early Access to Cancer Screenings in Underserved Communities, and more

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March 2, 2023

HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson and U.S. Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers Visit the Spokane Teaching Health Center to Highlight Innovative Community-Based Training Program for Primary Care Physicians

Carole visits Spokane Teaching Health Center

HRSA-funded program supports the training of primary care residents in rural and underserved community-based settings.

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Administrator Carole Johnson and U.S. Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, visited the Spokane Teaching Health Center in Spokane, Washington to highlight the role of the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) program in bringing health care providers to communities that need them most by training directly in the community. The program focuses on building medical residency programs in community-based settings, with a focus on rural and underserved areas, to allow residents to train in community clinics and the places they are most likely to practice.

Read the release.


HRSA Makes $30 Million Available for Health Centers to Expand Early Childhood Development Services

group of elementary school aged kids

HRSA announced the availability of approximately $30 million for HRSA-funded health centers to expand early childhood development care through increased screenings and follow-up services. 

“HRSA-funded health centers are dedicated to meeting the unique needs of their communities – including providing key preventive services and care to help their youngest patients thrive,” said Administrator Carole Johnson. “This funding will strengthen and expand the availability of early childhood screenings and follow-up services that are vital for ensuring that kids get the support they need and have the tools to lead healthy, happy lives.”

Read the release.


HRSA Recognizes National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day: March 10

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On Friday, March 10, our HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) will recognize National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.

This is an opportunity to raise awareness about the impact of HIV on women and girls and to encourage increased access to HIV prevention, testing, care, and treatment.

Our Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) is committed to helping women diagnosed with HIV get the care, medication, and support services they need. In 2021, 25.4% of RWHAP clients were women, and 89.9% of women receiving HIV medical care were virally suppressed, a significant increase from 66.3% virally suppressed in 2010. Viral suppression means you can’t sexually transmit HIV to an HIV-negative partner. 

While more work still needs to be done, especially to support Black women and transgender women with HIV, HAB is proud of this progress thanks to the dedication of our RWHAP recipients, subrecipients, and stakeholders.

Access interventions and technical assistance tools.


School-Based Service Expansion Funding Opportunity Now Available

kids in hallway

HRSA has released the fiscal year (FY) 2023 School-Based Service Expansion (SBSE) notice of funding opportunity (HRSA-23-097).

HRSA will make $25 million available for approximately 70 awards. Award recipients will use this funding to increase access to primary health care services, including mental health services, through new and/or existing school-based service site(s).

Health Center Program operational (H80) grant award recipients are eligible to apply. Health centers must make mental health services available at all school-based service sites where they propose to use SBSE funding.

Visit the FY 2023 SBSE technical assistance webpage for more information on this opportunity.

FY 2023 SBSE applications are due in:

Submit questions via the BPHC Contact Form: Under “Funding,” select “Applications for Notice of Funding Opportunities.” Then, select “School-Based Service Expansion (SBSE).”


Loan Repayment for Health Professionals

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Our National Health Service Corps (NHSC) has opened the application cycle for three programs. Eligible clinicians providing primary medical, dental, or behavioral health care services or evidence-based substance use disorder treatment can qualify for loan repayment of up to $50,000 with an NHSC Loan Repayment Program award, up to $75,000 for the NHSC Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Program, and up to $100,000 for the NHSC Rural Community Loan Repayment Program.

Compare programs, find your NHSC program fit, and learn more about eligible disciplines, site types, and service commitment.

Application Deadline: Tuesday, April 25, 7:30 p.m. ET. 


New MMWR Highlights Young Children’s Nutritional Needs

young girl eating apple

HRSA MCHB co-authored with the CDC, Variations in fruit, vegetable, and sugar sweetened beverage intake among young children by state, United States 2021, using the HRSA National Survey of Children’s Health dataset.

This CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) found that many young children are not eating fruits and vegetables each day and are regularly drinking sugar-sweetened beverages.

National-level data show that among children ages 1 to 5 years:

  • 1 in 3 did not eat fruit daily in the past week
  • 1 in 2 did not eat vegetables daily in the past week
  • 3 out of 5 drank a sugar-sweetened beverage at least once in the past week

Access the report for more findings about young children’s unmet nutritional needs, state-level variation, and households with limited food sufficiency. Learn more about HRSA MCHB’s approach to nutrition and our investments to build the maternal and child health nutrition workforce.


2023 HRSA Patient Safety Awareness Week: The Role of Technology in Patient Safety and Patient Engagement

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Patient Safety Awareness Week is March 12-18. We will host an event in partnership with other HHS agencies: AHRQ, CDC, CMS, IHS, NIH, as well as the National Practitioner Data Bank on Wednesday, March 15, 2-4 p.m. ET. Submit questions in advance to Clinical_RM_Program@ecri.org.

Speakers will discuss emerging topics, including how remote patient monitoring and predictive artificial intelligence are improving patient outcomes, how health care providers can maximize the use of technology and digital health, and how to address health disparities and communication inequities to ensure that advances in technology and digital health can support all patients. There will also be a virtual exhibit hall at the end of the session.


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March

  • National Nutrition Month
  • National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
  • National Poison Prevention Week (19-25)
  • National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (10)
  • National Native American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (20)
  • National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week (20-26)

Funding Opportunities

Health Workforce


Dental Faculty Loan Repayment Program - apply by March 3

Integrated Substance Use Disorder Training Program (ISTP) - apply by March 21

Advanced Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW) Program - apply by April 7

Advanced Nursing Education Nurse Practitioner Residency and Fellowship (ANE-NPRF) Program - apply by April 11

Health Centers


Fiscal Year 2023 Early Childhood Development - apply by March 17

Fiscal Year 2023 School-Based Service Expansion - apply by March 31

Federal Office of Rural Health Policy


Targeted Technical Assistance for Rural Hospitals Program - apply by March 7

Rural Communities Opioid Response Program-Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome - apply by March 8

Delta States Rural Development Network Program - apply by March 22

Office of Federal Assistance Management


Community Project Funding / Congressionally Directed Spending (CPF/CDS): Non-Construction Projects - apply by June 1

Community Project Funding / Congressionally Directed Spending (CPF/CDS): Facilities and/or Equipment (“Construction”) Projects - apply by June 1

HIV/AIDS Bureau


Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part F Dental Reimbursement Program - apply by March 10

Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part C Early Intervention Services Program: New Geographic Service Areas - apply by April 3

Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part B States/Territories Supplemental Grant Program - apply by April 20

Maternal and Child Health


Life Course Translational Research Network (LCT-RN) - apply by April 10

Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) - apply by April 11

Comprehensive Systems Integration for Adolescent and Young Adult Health - apply by April 11


View All Funding Opportunities