Grants for Rural Telehealth CHERYL HENSHAW – V.P. GRANT SERVICES, FOCAL POINT, INC.

Learning Objectives

Different Sources of Rural Telehealth Funding

Where to Find Information on Grant Programs

Best Practices to Obtain Funding for Telehealth Initiatives

Single greatest funding program for rural telehealth equipment – RUS DLT Grant

Sources for Rural Healthcare Funding

Federal Agencies with Telehealth Funding

Sources for Foundation Funding… Top Maine Giving Foundations

Know What You’re Looking For…

Health Reform Primary & Research Rural Health Tribal Health Health Innovation Specialty Care Disparities

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It’s rarely about the telehealth technologies….

It’s all about how those technologies address a need • What are the problems you face? • Quantify those problems • Explain how the technologies and other line items in your

budget address those problems • Articulate general benefits • Project specific outcomes

Most importantly… find a grant that’s the right fit for you!

Federal Register - http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/search/getfrtoc.action

or http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/the-federal-register/email-signup.html

Grants.gov http://www.grants.gov

Federal and State agency funding forecasts ◦ Ed.gov ◦ Hrsa.gov ◦ Dol.gov ◦ Usda.gov

Foundationcenter.org

Grantswatch.com or Maine.grantswatch.com

Searching for Grant Information

Grant Seeking Best Practices

Avoid Common Gotcha’s!

1. Make sure you have a SAM Registration (and make sure it’s active)

2. Check that your Grants.gov Username and Password work!

3. Have you authorized your AOR? Will this person be available on the day the grant is submitted?

4. Start gathering required documents as soon as possible – check grant guidelines to ensure you know exactly what’s required!

5. Check to see if an evaluation is required; if so, engage an evaluator at the onset of your project!

Grant Tips & Tricks

Avoid “Square Peg – Round Hole” • Find a grant that is a good fit for

what you are trying to accomplish • Contrived applications rarely fund • Never assume -- If you aren’t sure

about what the grant will or won’t prioritize, call the program officer!

Highlight your Problems, then fix them!

Cry me a river… Build me a dam!

-- Don’t be afraid to highlight problems -- Make sure you propose solutions

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is!

• Don’t make assertions without the ability to back them up!

• Quantify, Quantify, Quantify

• If you engage an external writer,

provide them with access to your data

Get Ahead of Match Requirements! Match is not Match is not Match

◦ Read Guidelines thoroughly!

◦ Leverage and Match can be the same… or two different things!

In Kind vs Cash ◦ Depends on the grant

◦ Think through upcoming expenditures & plan accordingly

Start Looking for Matching Sources Early! ◦ Foundations

◦ Local Organizations

◦ Challenge Funds

Spread requirement across partnerships

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Grants Span the Gamut of Telehealth

Rural Health Mental Health, Substance Abuse, Corrections

Health Professions

RUS-DLT Advancing Wellness & Resilience in Education

HRSA - NEPQR

Rural Health Network Offender Reentry Program HRSA - Nursing Workforce Diversity Grant

Rural Healthcare Services Outreach

Reentry - Adult Offenders with Co-Occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Health Disorders

Rural Network Allied Health Training Program

The #1 Federal Grant for Telehealth Equipment

USDA RUS-DLT Grant Program

When: Spring-ish posting of Guidelines

Application Window: 45 – 60 Days (varies from year to year)

Award Size: $50,000 - $500,000

Match: 15% Required; 31% - 101% based on Objective Scoring

Eligibility: Almost any org delivering or sharing telehealth or

distance learning services with rural sites

(no sole proprietors; no federal orgs)

DLT Program Purpose

• Equalizing access to healthcare or educational resources & services

• The “T” in DLT (Telemedicine) has very broad connotations Healthcare services (primary & specialty) Clinical Healthcare Education Prevention and Wellness Mental Health & Substance Abuse School based health Even For-Profit healthcare (ex: sleep disorder clinics)

RUS-DLT Scoring (Objective Scoring)

1. Rurality – Each site receiving services/benefits is given a rurality score based on RUS definition of rurality

◦ 45 Points to sites located in populations of 5000 or less ◦ 30 Points to sites located in populations of 5001 – 10,000 ◦ 15 Points to sites located in populations of 10,001 – 20,000

2. Poverty – measured by the NSLP of each participating K-12 school, or the school district serving the geography of each site

3. Leverage – your ability to provide matching funds. 15% required to apply. The more you match, the more points you receive. (Tip: sum of #1, #2, #4 will help you determine the Leverage Points needed)

4. Tribal Participation – 15 Points for the inclusion of a tribal site

DLT Subjective Scoring 1. Needs/Benefits – Up to 45 Points

◦ Demonstrate your Needs ◦ Quantify those Needs and Compare to Others ◦ Describe how your project will address these Needs ◦ Project General Benefits and Specific Outcomes ◦ Demonstrate Community Involvement and Support

2. Innovation – Up to 15 Points

3. Cost Effectiveness – Up to 35 Points ◦ Demonstrate a thorough review of technology options ◦ Document your technology decisions – Best Fit vs Best Price

DLT Minefields o This grant has a million moving parts – you must be consistent! Check and then Double Check!

o Don’t apply logic -- just follow the rules to the letter

o Start EARLY – before the guidelines come out you should Cement your partnerships

Run and Confirm demographic data

Identify and solidify match

Request letters of support

Review technology options and DOCUMENT discussions, attendance at tradeshows, request vendor demonstrations…. More is more!

The Good News… This grant is very winnable if you have a secret decoder ring!

And if not… there are telehealth vendors who have years of experience with this grant, who are happy to provide assistance – at NO CHARGE TO YOUR ORGANIZATION

Questions?

Cheryl Henshaw

Vice President -- Grant Services

Focal Point, Inc

(845) 821-6379

chenshaw@focalp.com