This newsletter is brought to you by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy and the Community Health Systems Development Team at the Georgia Health Policy Center.

GRANTEE SPOTLIGHTS

Network Development Grantee

Kay Balcer, director for the Thumb Community Health Partnership (Michigan), discusses their new opportunities for the network and for tackling complex regional challenges.

Network Planning Grantee

Jenilee Johnson and Rachel Armstrong, clinical pharmacists and community health workers (CHWs) at Bingham Memorial Hospital (Idaho), discuss establishing a network to support a CHW program.

RESCHEDULED Annual Meeting

"Thriving Together: Networking for Better Health"

The in-person Network Services Grantee Meeting (reverse site visit) that was originally scheduled for February 5-6, 2025, in Atlanta, Georgia, is being rescheduled as a virtual meeting. We are currently working diligently to finalize those details. Stay tuned for more information.

PROGRAM-SPECIFIC UPDATES

Rural Health Network Development (RHND)

Hi there RHND,

We’re halfway through year two and time is truly flying. As a heads up, deliverables will start to kick back up in the summer. Feel free to use monthly calls to dust off previous submissions. Please continue to share your work with your PO and TA as well as each other. If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to reach out at any time.

Maribel Nunez, FORHP, RHND Program Coordinator

DELIVERABLES

NCC – Due April 2, 2025

All grantees are required to submit a Non-Competing Continuation (NCC) Progress Report in the EHB. The purpose of this report is to demonstrate adequate progress of grant projects to secure year 3 funding. A request for an updated Work Plan demonstrating proposed vs. actual progression of activities will be included. The official template will be made available no later than the first week of March 2025. There is zero flexibility on due dates. It is recommended that you submit sooner rather than later should there be any request for changes.

Data Dashboard – Due July 25, 2025

Award recipients will be expected to submit an updated data dashboard of key project measures and resulting outcomes from year 2.

Performance and Improvement Measurement Systems (PIMS) Measures – Due July 31, 2025

Reporting will be completed and submitted in Salesforce. The reporting period for PIMS should reflect data from the most recent grant year (July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025). PIMS will be made available in Salesforce on July 31, 2025. During April and May calls, POs will confirm who currently has access to Salesforce. For those who require access, please let your PO know during that time and we will work swiftly to ensure you have the appropriate access.

PROGRAM-SPECIFIC UPDATES

RHND Network Planning

July Cohort Deliverables

It is hard to believe that you are already in the final quarter of your planning year. It has been a whirlwind, and the last three months are busy ones. Over the final quarter you will meet again with your Peer Sharing Community, work directly with your TA Coach to complete the remaining deliverables, and finish the year with an exit call in June designed to draw out your progress, lessons learned and plans for the future.

The Network Organizational Assessment is due on April 11 and should be submitted via the Electronic Handbook (EHB). The Network Organizational Assessment, instructions and a recorded web blast breaking down the template and sections are posted to the Resources tab of the grantee portal.

Your Sourcebook entry is due on May 9 and should be submitted via email to your TA coach and project officer. The Sourcebook is a public-facing compilation of grantee-generated program summaries that documents the accomplishments of the 2024 Network Planning grantees. The Sourcebook template and instructions are available on the Resources tab of the grantee portal.

Your Network Strategic Plan is due in the Electronic Handbook by June 13. The Strategic Plan is the culmination of the planning work that you have completed over the course of the year and includes sections on your Network Statement, External Environmental Scan, and the Network Organizational Statement. The Strategic Plan template and instructions are available on the Resources tab of the grantee portal.

September Cohort Deliverables

In the third quarter of your planning year, the pace will start to pick up. You will meet with your Peer Support Community again to check in with each other, and work with your TA coach to make a plan to engage your partners in the completion of the upcoming deliverables.

The External Environmental Scan is due via email to your project officer and technical assistance coach on April 11. The External Environmental Scan template and instructions are available on the Resources tab of the grantee portal.

Your Network Statement is due via email to your project officer and technical assistance coach on June 13. The Network Statement is a short narrative that describes the underlying reasons for, and aspirations of, your network. It is a section in the Strategic Plan and Sourcebook deliverables.

On April 30, there will be a 30-minute web blast designed to review the key components of a compelling network statement.

All Network Planning Grantees

The recording from the March 19, 2025, Rural Health Network Director Panel, Moving from Planning to Implementation and Beyond, has been posted to the grantee portal. Thank you to Andrea Stephenson, Ann Morgan and Melissa Line for sharing your experiences as Rural Health Network Directors.

Upcoming Learning Opportunities/ Webinars

July Cohort:

April 9 at 3:00 pm ET, please join the webinar, Completing the Final Programmatic Reports. In this one-hour webinar, your FORHP program coordinator will provide an overview of the annual report submissions for HRSA. A calendar invitation with Zoom link will be sent out. prior to the webinar. Please contact your TA Coach if you need the link.

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September Cohort:

April 30 at 3:00 pm ET, please join the web blast, Making a Statement. In this 30-minute web blast, attendees will receive guidance on writing a compelling Network Statement that will be included in the Source Book and Strategic Plan.

May 21 at 3:00 pm ET, please join the webinar, Positioning for Sustainability. In this one-hour webinar, speakers will review the essential factors for positioning your network for sustainability beyond the Planning grant cycle.