Through The National Rural Health Association (NRHA), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide selected rural hospitals with Technical Assistance (TA) services to identify and address health care needs and strengthen the local health care system. The goal is to enhance hospital systems for improved efficiency and financial performance, bolster quality of care, and support the community. Prior to selection, hospitals will be interviewed by NRHA and complete an initial assessment to identify TA services needed. The total number of projects will be limited by cooperative agreement funding.
Contractors will be selected to work collaboratively with NRHA and qualified hospitals to coordinate planning and delivery of TA and report to NRHA to review progress and discuss next steps. Upon completion, contractors will provide a written electronic summary of TA activity along with specific action steps and goals for each hospital. The summary will include recommendations for ongoing implementation of best practices, strategies that support the completion of the action plan, and tracking and reporting of measures defined by the program and assessment report.