With the recent passing of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and provider organizations will receive funding from the federal government. The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will allocate over $6 billion to Health Center Program award recipients. Additional funding for FQHC Look-Alikes, Health Center Controlled Networks and others is also expected to be released. To see the exact amount of the award for your center, use the drop-down list by state here.
Broadly, funding can be used to:
- Support and expand COVID-19 vaccination, testing, and treatment for vulnerable populations
- Deliver needed preventive and primary health care services to those at higher risk for COVID-19
- Expand health centers’ operational capacity during the pandemic and beyond, including building and sustaining the workforce and modifying and improving physical infrastructure, e.g., adding mobile units
Click here for a full list of allowable uses. Visit the American Rescue Plan Act TA page for more information and resources for award recipients, including guidance on the H8F Award Submission which is due by May 31st, 2021.
Primary Care Development Corporation (PCDC) helps community health centers and providers expand access to high quality primary care by offering financing programs that support a variety of care initiatives. Our current programs can help stretch the above awards through:
- Short-term/Working Capital Funding to support cashflow shortfalls arising from site closures and staff furloughs, staff retraining, PPE purchases, facilities upgrades to reduce COVID-19 transmission, and EHR-related costs including losses due to reduced productivity
- Long-term Financing of pre-development, construction and renovation of sites, thereby enabling centers to continue or initiate expansion or redesign to better serve communities in a post-COVID environment. Funds can also be used for new modalities, including Telehealth expansion and mobile vans.
Find out how PCDC’s Capital Investment programs can augment your ARPA funding or any future capital awards here.
Additionally, PCDC offers leadership consultation, staff training, and technical assistance to develop the tools and implement the strategies needed to provide patient-centered, high quality care. PCDC’s expert trainers and consultant teams support health centers to build and enhance the delivery and process of care in core areas of the ARPA:
- Care management and coordination to support a connected and continuous process of care through developing care pathways, referral relationships, and enhancing patient engagement
- Telehealth support related to staff training, developing organizational workflows and patient communication
- Training and education in key areas for maintaining and increasing capacity, including addressing health literacy, addressing health disparities and social determinants of health, motivational interviewing and more
- Compliance and operations support to maximize reimbursement opportunities and access, enhance cooperative strategies with payers, and streamline data use and reporting
- Behavioral health integration to support the growing mental health, substance use, and health behavior needs at a population level
Learn more about PCDC’s Training and Technical Assistance approaches to support your ARPA initiatives here.
