High Sierra Area Health Education Center Inc

RURAL HEALTH NETWORK DEVELOPMENT PLANNING GRANT PROGRAM - APPLICANT ORGANIZATION INFORMATION: ORGANIZATION NAME: HIGH SIERRA AREA HEALTH AND EDUCATION CENTER ADDRESS: 639 ISBELL ROAD, SUITE 290, RENO, NEVADA 89509-4967 FACILITY ENTITY TYPE: 501C3 NONPROFIT WEBSITE ADDRESS: HTTPS://WWW.HIGHSIERRAAHEC.ORG/ DESIGNATED PROJECT DIRECTOR INFORMATION: PROJECT DIRECTOR NAME & TITLE: ANDREA GREGG, CEO PHONE NUMBER: 775-507-4022 E-MAIL ADDRESS: ANDREA@HIGHSIERRAAHEC.ORG NETWORK PLANNING PROJECT: NETWORK NAME: SGM RURAL HEALTH NETWORK LEGISLATIVE AIMS: AIM #1: ACHIEVE EFFICIENCIES: THE AIM OF THIS NETWORK IS TO ASSESS THE NEED FOR AND ADDRESS THE SCARCITY OF PRIMARY CARE AND HEALTH SERVICES AVAILABLE TO THE SEXUAL AND GENDER MINORITY (SGM) POPULATION WITHIN RURAL NEVADA. THIS WILL BE DONE BY CONDUCTING A COMMUNITY HEALTH AND/OR PROVIDER NEEDS ASSESSMENT AT THE REGIONAL AND LOCAL LEVEL. THIS NEEDS ASSESSMENT WILL HELP US IDENTIFY AREAS OF HIGH NEED TO ENSURE THAT GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION IS NOT A BARRIER TO RECEIVING CARE. OTHER GOALS INCLUDE: GROWING A COLLABORATION NETWORK OF HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS SAVVY IN TREATING SGM POPULATIONS IN RURAL AREAS, BOLSTERING REGIONAL SYSTEMS OF CARE TO BETTER MEET RURAL PATIENT CONCERNS, AND IDENTIFYING THE FINANCIAL GAPS THAT CURRENTLY EXIST AND OBSTRUCT HEALTHCARE WITHIN THESE COMMUNITIES. AIM #2: EXPAND ACCESS TO, COORDINATE, AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF BASIC HEALTH CARE SERVICES AND ASSOCIATED HEALTH OUTCOMES; AIM #3: INCREASE CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN EXISTING HEALTHCARE NETWORKS AND PROVIDERS. TO ACHIEVE AIMS #2 AND #3, WE PLAN TO 1) CREATE A FULL-TIME POSITION DESIGNED TO ASSESS THE NEEDS OF RURAL SGM COMMUNITIES AND THEIR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, SYNTHESIZE AND REPORT GATHERED INFORMATION, AND FACILITATE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN RURAL STAKEHOLDERS AND BENEFICIARIES; 2) GARNER THE INTEREST OF RURAL HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS THROUGH PROVIDING EDUCATION ON THE IMPORTANCE OF CARING FOR THE SGM COMMUNITY; 3) OFFER EDUCATION ON SGM HEALTHCARE; 4) ESTABLISH AND STRENGTHEN A COMMUNITY-PARTNER R EFERRAL NETWORK THAT GIVES RURAL PROVIDERS ACCESS TO CASE MANAGEMENT AND SUPPORT FROM PROFESSIONALS WITH KNOWLEDGE ABOUT CARE FOR THE SGM COMMUNITY; AND, 5) MAINTAIN ONGOING COMMUNICATION WITH RURAL HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS REGARDING RESOURCE NEEDS, EDUCATION TOPICS, AND IDEAS THAT SUPPORT BUILDING INFORMED AND SUSTAINABLE HEALTHCARE SERVICES TO NEVADA’S RURAL SGM POPULATION. FOCUS AREA: THE NETWORK’S FOCUS AREA IS EXPANSION AND INTEGRATION OF SGM HEALTHCARE SERVICES THROUGHOUT NEVADA. PROPOSED SERVICE REGION: STATE: NEVADA URBAN COUNTIES: CARSON CITY, CLARK, WASHOE RURAL COUNTIES: DOUGLAS, LYON, STOREY. FRONTIER COUNTIES: CHURCHILL, ELKO, ESMERALDA, EUREKA, HUMBOLDT, LANDER, LINCOLN, MINERAL, NYE, PERSHING AND WHITE PINE POPULATION TO BE SERVED: THIS GRANT WILL HELP CREATE THE FIRST DEDICATED SGM AND RURAL-FOCUSED HEALTHCARE COLLABORATION NETWORK IN THE STATE OF NEVADA THAT WILL ADDRESS THE HEALTHCARE DISPARITIES UNIQUELY FACING SGM COMMUNITIES. THE SGM COMMUNITIES WITHIN RURAL AREAS FACE EVEN GREATER CHALLENGES. OUR NETWORK SEEKS TO IMPROVE HEALTHCARE OUTCOMES IN THIS HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED AND UNDERSERVED POPULATION. EXPERIENCE IN SERVING RURAL UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS FOR OVER 20 YEARS, HIGH SIERRA AREA HEALTH EDUCATION CENTER (AHEC), A DESIGNATED 501C3 NONPROFIT AND LONGSTANDING MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL AHEC ORGANIZATION, HAS BEEN STEADFAST IN ADDRESSING NEVADA’S HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE SHORTAGES THROUGH RECRUITING, TRAINING, AND RETAINING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS COMMITTED TO INCREASING ACCESS TO PRIMARY CARE IN UNDERSERVED URBAN AND RURAL COMMUNITIES. HIGH SIERRA AHEC WORKS IN AFFILIATION WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO, SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND THE OFFICE OF STATEWIDE INITIATIVES TO SERVE THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES: CARSON, CHURCHILL, DOUGLAS, LYON, STOREY, AND WASHOE. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NOTIFICATION WE LEARNED OF THIS FUNDING OPPORTUNITY THROUGH GRANTS.GOV. FUNDING PREFERENCE WE QUALIFY FOR FUNDING PREFERENCE, SEE ATTACHMENT 6.