This month, the U.S Department of Health and Human Services through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has provided $424.7 million for COVID-19 testing and mitigation to Rural Health Clinics (RHC) across the country. Later this summer, HRSA plans to allocate another $35.3 million to RHCs that continue to meet eligibility requirements. The HRSA says these funds provide support in maintaining and increasing COVID-19 testing efforts, expanding access to testing in rural communities, and expanding the range of mitigation activities in local communities.
HRSA Rural Health Clinic funding is given based on the number of certified clinic sites an RHC operates- with $100,000 provided for each clinic site. As RHCs are critical community resources and access points in underserved areas, the continuing HRSA funds will be used to expand community-tailored efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 for rural Americans.
As of June 11, 2021, the state of South Dakota has 55 eligible RHCs, receiving a total of $5,500,000. Additional RHCs that meet program requirements may become eligible for the future payments.
Click here to read RHC funding terms and conditions.
