Indiana is stepping up for rural healthcare

Access to high-quality, affordable healthcare remains one of the most pressing challenges in our state, particularly in our rural areas. As your state representative, addressing this issue is a priority and I am excited to share that nearly $13 million in federal Grow Rural Opportunities for Well-being (GROW) grants are coming to Northwest Indiana, including Fulton, Jasper, Marshall, Newton, Elkhart, Pulaski and Starke counties.

This funding will assist current initiatives to bring more healthcare options and opportunities to our more rural communities as well as expand access through digital and mobile care methods.

Initiatives for our area and the entire region include:

• Regional Community Navigation & Care Coordination Network: Aims to build trusted relationships that help residents navigate healthcare and community resources through coordinated referrals and longitudinal support. 
• Healthcare Innovation & Digital Care Expansion: Committed to strengthening digital health infrastructure, telehealth, interoperability and public health intelligence to improve coordination and decision-making. 
• Healthcare Access Expansion & Mobile Care Delivery: Prioritizes access expansion to primary care, specialty care, preventive services and coordinated clinical care throughout the region.  
• Integrate Rural Access Network: Helps lower barriers to care and addresses social drivers of health through AI-enabled healthcare navigation and virtual low acuity care, transportation, community-based access hubs, food as medicine partnerships, maternal health supports and other community-based services. 
• Healthcare Workforce Development & Talent Pipeline Network: Promotes a strengthened healthcare workforce through coordinated planning, clinical training, education to employment pathways and the Regional Workforce Information System (RWIS). 

These efforts will help Hoosiers in our communities get care tailored to their needs and improve public health. We are not the only area taking charge of rural health. Indiana's eight health regions recently applied for a combined $120 million to be distributed to nearly 200 organizations dedicated to promoting and implementing rural healthcare initiatives.

GROW grants make up 60% of the federal Rural Health Transformation Program, administered by the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) and Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA). These grants are providing the state with nearly $207 million for the first year of the five-year initiative.

To learn more about funding for rural healthcare across the state, visit in.gov/grow-rural-health.

I will continue to work to improve access and quality of care for rural communities. I am currently working on legislation to address such concerns and ensure everyone in Indiana has access to the best healthcare options available.

As your state representative, I am eager to hear from you on this or other issues. Please reach out to my office with any questions at in.gov/h16 or by calling 317-232-9819. 

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