Sustained Access to Healthcare Services Project Hurricane Relief Infrastructure-Capital Project Grant SFY 2020
Sustained Access to Healthcare Services Project
Hurricane Relief Infrastructure/Capital Project Grant SFY 2020
General Information
RFA Title: Sustained Access to Healthcare Services Project
Funding Agency Name: North Carolina Office of Rural Health (ORH)
Funding Agency Address: 311 Ashe Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27606
Award Issue Date: September 9, 2019
Closing Date: Grant applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. October 7, 2019.
Funding Agency Contacts and Inquiries:
• Glenn Field, 919-527-6458, Glenn.Field@dhhs.nc.gov
• John Resendes, 919-527-6460, John.Resendes@dhhs.nc.gov;
Questions from applicants must be emailed to Glenn Field and copied to John Resendes at the email addresses above by 5:00 p.m. September 23, 2019. Responses to questions that could affect all applicants will be published to all applicants.
Limitations on Use of These Grant Funds:
Funding from this grant cannot be used to support ongoing equipment maintenance, the purchase of maintenance plans or insurance payments.
Funds from this grant cannot supplant existing funds. Applicants must attest by dated signature of a legal signatory (see last page of application) that all purchases made with funds from this grant have not been paid for in full by another source (examples: disaster relief funding from any source or insurance payments).
Submission Instructions:
Only electronic copies will be accepted through the Qualtrics survey link at the bottom of the webpage. Documents requiring signatures will need to be uploaded as a pdf to the Qualtrics survey.
Incomplete applications and applications not completed in accordance with the instructions provided below will not be eligible.
RFA Description
ORH received a one-time grant from Kate B Reynolds Charitable Trust totaling $1,000,000 to support safety net providers in 34 FEMA-identified counties affected by Hurricane Florence.
ORH supports safety net providers to create or maintain access to healthcare in rural and underserved areas. Safety net providers supported by ORH include Rural Health Centers and non-profit Rural Health Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, Free and Charitable Clinics, Health Departments, School-based Health Centers, Critical Access Hospitals and Small Rural Hospitals.
This project will support access to healthcare in the 34 FEMA-identified counties affected by Hurricane Florence by providing essential funding to safety net providers (as identified above) to equip them with infrastructure-related capital needs and emergency supplies or equipment to sustain services during emergencies and natural disasters.
The 34 counties designated by FEMA as eligible for individual assistance in the wake of Hurricane Florence are: Anson, Beaufort, Bladen, Brunswick, Carteret, Chatham, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Duplin, Durham, Greene, Guilford, Harnett, Hoke, Hyde, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lenoir, Moore, New Hanover, Onslow, Orange, Pamlico, Pender, Pitt, Richmond, Robeson, Sampson, Scotland, Union, Wayne, and Wilson.
Grant funding up to $50,000 per one primary care site per county may be used to meet emergency preparedness and infrastructure-related needs such as the purchase of generators, refrigeration units, facility upgrades such as elevating equipment above waterlines, infrastructure repairs, and/or emergency preparedness supplies or equipment such as hygiene and first-aid kits, sanitation supplies, portable lighting.
Background
Before, during, and directly after Hurricane Florence, the Office of Rural Health (ORH) contacted grantees and partners in the affected areas to determine operational status (open/closed), damages, and needs. Most of the identified needs involved damaged infrastructure and the need for equipment to sustain operations during emergencies.
ORH staff worked with state emergency services to identify then survey organizations in 34 counties that were affected by Hurricane Florence in September 2018. Nearly all the counties east of the I-95 corridor were represented. The most common needs were generators and propane or gasoline to run them, keeping vaccines and medications at required temperatures, and keeping sump pumps running. The second most common needs identified were supplies such as protective equipment, cleaning materials, hygiene kits, first aid kits, flashlights and plastic storage bins. Several sites reported needing medication storage areas and funding to stock blood pressure medications and insulin. Finally, sites reported infrastructure needs to maintain the facility such as repairing walls or roofs or replacing carpet. It is expected that the applicant will work with their local critical access hospital (CAH) to organize efforts, if one is in the area. During Hurricane Florence many hospitals reported a need for patients to “plug-in” items such as oxygen machines and other vital devices. Infrastructure updates to support the needs of patients with the these special health needs will also be considered.
Eligibility
Eligible organizations: Rural Health Centers and non-profit Rural Health Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, Free and Charitable Clinics, Health Departments, School-based Health Centers, Critical Access Hospitals and Small Rural Hospitals who have service sites in one or more of the 34 counties designated by FEMA as eligible for individual assistance in the wake of Hurricane Florence: Anson, Beaufort, Bladen, Brunswick, Carteret, Chatham, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Duplin, Durham, Greene, Guilford, Harnett, Hoke, Hyde, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lenoir, Moore, New Hanover, Onslow, Orange, Pamlico, Pender, Pitt, Richmond, Robeson, Sampson, Scotland, Union, Wayne and Wilson.
Each organization may submit multiple applications, but only one application per safety net site per county will be accepted.
Application Instructions
Please read the following instructions and requirements carefully. Applications that do not adhere to all instructions and requirements will not be eligible.
You must submit your application through the online survey tool at:
Application Deadline: Applications must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. October 7, 2019.
Funding Amount: The maximum total grant award per application is $50,000.
(Updated 9/20/19) In consideration of a question from a potential applicant, we would like to ensure that all potential applicant organizations receive the following clarification:
Applicants may apply for portable equipment, supplies and related costs associated with providing services at a temporary, alternative site(s) if and when the usual physical location(s) where services are provided become inaccessible or too damaged to provide care at that site.
Funding Cycle: Notification of grant awards will be November 1, 2019. All grantees must fully expend grant funds prior to June 30, 2021.
All estimates for capital items (exceeding $500) and proposed projects must accompany the application. All invoices for completed and projected work must be submitted for review within 30 calendar days of the end of the grant term. If projections are included in the final invoice, the grantee must attest that all work will be completed by the end of the grant cycle.
Scoring Criteria
Awards will be based on demonstrated need, scoring based on each section noted below, and funding availability. Applications will be reviewed and scored by members of the Primary Care Advisory Committee.
In addition to the scoring criteria below, consideration will be given to equitable geographic distribution of grants.
- Purpose and Background - 10 Points
- Needs Assessment - 25 Points
- Benefit to Community - 25 Points
- Budget and Budget Narrative - 20 Points
- Program Evaluation Plan - 20 Points
- Total Points Awarded - 100 Points
Budget and Budget Narrative
Please see attached budget template document.
The budget must provide a clear and detailed description for each item to be supported by this grant, and a corresponding narrative which must provide a clear rationale of how grant funds will to be used to support the safety net service site with infrastructure-related capital needs and emergency supplies or equipment essential to sustain services during emergencies and natural disasters. For capital purchases and projects, at least one dated estimate on vendor letterhead that includes all parts, materials and labor minus any tax charges must be attached to the Budget Narrative.
If funds are used to purchase large equipment, purchase of a maintenance plan is strongly encouraged. However, funding from this grant cannot pay for ongoing equipment maintenance/maintenance plans or insurance plan payments.
Funds from this grant cannot supplant existing funds. Applicants must attest by dated signature of a legal signatory (see last page of application) that all purchases made with funds from this grant have not been paid for in full by another source (examples: disaster relief funding from any source or insurance payments).
All invoices for completed and projected work must be submitted for review within 30 calendar days of the end of the grant term. If projections are included in the final invoice, the grantee must attest that all work will be completed by the end of the grant cycle.
Application
Please use Qualtrics link below. Please see documents below for full copy of applicantion materials and budget template.
Qualtrics link: CLOSED
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