The Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission (CSPDC) has been awarded $11.8 million to help bring health care closer to the places where rural residents live and work. The CSPDC will partner with the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) to carry out the Mobile and Hybrid Care initiative, part of the Rural Health Transformation Program’s Connected Care, Closer to Home effort.
The funding will be awarded to local health care providers through a competitive application process. Projects may include mobile care units, telehealth kiosks, electronic consultations between providers, and other creative ways of delivering care in rural communities. Grants will cover the start-up costs of mobile and technology-enabled care to support primary care, behavioral health and substance use treatment, dental care, vision care, screenings, and diagnostics.
Why It Matters
For many rural Virginians, a routine checkup can mean a long drive, time off from work, or a missed day of school. Those barriers often lead people to put off preventive care until a small problem becomes a serious one. The Mobile and Hybrid Care initiative aims to change that by taking services directly into communities, improving health outcomes for rural residents with care that fits into everyday life.
A Regional Partnership
Rural health needs don’t stop at county lines, so the program is a collaboration among three regional commissions. The CSPDC will lead the effort and administer the funds. It will work alongside the New River Valley Regional Commission and the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission to identify strong projects throughout their combined service areas.
How Providers Can Apply
The CSPDC will soon advertise a Request for Applications (RFA) to identify the strongest projects to fund. Applications will be reviewed competitively, with attention to community impact, the quality of the proposed approach, and the project’s ability to reach rural residents. Health care providers, clinics, health systems, and other organizations interested in bringing care closer to rural communities are encouraged to start planning now. Watch for the RFA announcement on the CSPDC website at https://cspdc.org/.