Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Administrator Mary K. Wakefield, PhD, RN, announced more than $22 million to support health care in rural areas. Administered by the Office of Rural Health Policy, located within HRSA, the grant programs went out to more than 100 rural communities in 42 states.

“Rural communities have some of the greatest needs for expanding access to health care,” Wakefield said. “These investments represent our commitment at the federal level to support partners on the ground, who are working to strengthen health care delivery in every area of the country.”

HRSA’s grant programs went out to more than 100 rural communities in 42 states.From all the money, around $2.3 million went to the Evidence-Based Tele-Emergency Network Program to expand capabilities in remote emergency departments and determine the effectiveness of tele-emergency care for rural patients and providers.

Another $600,000 was reserved for the Telehealth Resource Centers, which assist health care organizations, networks and providers with implementation of cost-effective telehealth programs in rural areas.

Rest of the sum was put into the Rural Health Network Development Program ($11M), the Rural Health Network Development Planning Program ($5M), the Radiation Exposure Screening and Education Program ($1.5M), and $1 million towards two programs that will improve emergency medical services – the Rural Access to Emergency Devices Program and the Public Access to Defibrillation Demonstration Project.

In addition, Healthy Start grant awards announced earlier this month will send $4.6 million to rural communities to reduce infant mortality. Along with $10 million in funds designated to rural areas for construction and renovation through the Health Center Program, these awards represent a HRSA investment of more than $36 million in the health of rural communities.

The complete list of Rural Health 2014 Grant Awards is available from here.