State Office of Rural Health Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is rural?
Depending upon the program and agency, various definitions of rural exist. For grant programs from the federal Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP), all counties that are not part of a Metropolitan Area are considered rural by definition. In Metropolitan counties, Rural-Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) Codes define the rural population served by the State Office of Rural Health (SORH).
However, the SORH does not in any way limit our technical assistance or services to just those counties or communities that meet the ORHP’s definition of rural.
To learn more about eligibility for federal grants from the ORHP, visit http://datawarehouse.hrsa.gov/RuralAdvisor/.
2. How can I find funding to fit needed community projects?
Three federal ORHP grant opportunities fund rural health projects in communities meeting the federal definition of rural. Information on these opportunities is listed below.
- Rural Health Care Services Outreach Grant Program
The emphasis of this grant program is on service delivery through creative strategies requiring the grantee to form a network with at least two additional partners.
- Rural Health Network Development Planning Grant Program
This grant program provides one year of funding to rural communities needing assistance in the development of an integrated health care network. Planning grants provide funding to develop a formal network with the purpose of improving the coordination of health services in rural communities and strengthening the rural health care system as a whole.
- Rural Health Network Development Grant Program
These grants are designed to further ongoing collaborative relationships among health care organizations by funding rural health networks that focus on integrating clinical, informational, administrative and financial systems across members.
In addition, the SORH distributes announcements of funding opportunities as they arise via listserv. To be added to this mailing list, send your request to BCHS@odh.ohio.gov. Another recommendation is to frequently check http://www.raconline.org for rural health-related funding opportunities.
3. Where can I obtain demographic, economic and health-related statistics for my county?
A few sources of information include:
Last Updated: 1/20/12
State Office of Rural Health / Primary Care and Rural Health Main Page
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