NRHA Applauds Senator Tester for Work on Community Transformation Grants
NRHA applauds Senator Tester (D-MT) for his work on ensuring rural access to Community Transformation Grants. According to statute, twenty percent of the Community Transformation Grants funds are to be allocated to rural and frontier areas. Notwithstanding this requirement, Federal Agencies have stipulated that only counties serving populations greater than 500,000 people will be eligible to receive direct funding. If a county does not meet this threshold, States, or their designees, must apply on behalf of other areas in the state in order for them to receive their statutorily mandated funds. NRHA believes that these issues must be remedied so that the true congressional intent of the program is honored. In the past month, NRHA sent letters to the Centers for Disease Control urging it to modify its application and award process. Today, Senator Tester also sent a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services urging an extension for the application deadline for these grants. Community Transformation Grants have the ability to help drastically improve the overall health in many rural areas and NRHA will continue to work to make sure rural communities have access to these funds.