CHA News

Grants Available to Expand Access to COVID-19 Vaccines, Health Care Services, and Food Assistance  

For CEOs, CFOs, COOs, strategic planning staff, government relations staff

Last week, the Biden-Harris Administration announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is making up to $500 million available in grants to help rural health care facilities, tribes, and communities expand access to COVID-19 vaccines, health care services, and nutrition assistance.

Applicants may apply for two types of assistance: Recovery Grants and Impact Grants.

Recovery Grants are available to help public bodies, nonprofit organizations, and tribes provide immediate COVID-19 relief to support rural hospitals, health care clinics, and local communities.

These funds may be used to increase COVID-19 vaccine distribution and telehealth capabilities; purchase medical supplies; replace revenue lost during the pandemic; build and rehabilitate temporary or permanent structures for health care services; support staffing needs for vaccine administration and testing; and support facility and operations expenses associated with food banks and food distribution facilities.

Recovery Grant applications will be accepted on a continual basis until funds are expended.

Impact Grants are available to help regional partnerships, public bodies, nonprofits, and tribes solve regional rural health care problems and build a stronger, more sustainable rural health care system in response to the pandemic.

Impact Grant applications must be submitted to the local USDA Rural Development State Office by 4 p.m. (PT) on Oct. 12.

For additional information, please see the notice in the Federal Register.