NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — On Friday, the Biden-Harris Administration provided $4,061,378 to support rural health clinics in Louisiana with vaccination efforts due to the increase of challenges caused by the Delta variant.

The funds will go to 82 Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) who will use these resources to combat COVID-19 misinformation by developing and implementing additional vaccine confidence and outreach efforts. 

The funding was made available by the American Rescue Plan and is being administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) through the Rural Health Clinic Vaccine Confidence (RHCVC) Program.

“Rural health clinics play a crucial role in supporting our national vaccination effort to defeat COVID-19,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra.

She added, “This funding will give trusted messengers in rural communities the tools they need to counsel patients on how COVID-19 vaccines can help protect them and their loved ones.” 

HRSA is making grant awards to RHCs based on the number of certified clinic sites they operate, providing approximately $49,500 per clinic site.

RHCs are a special designation given to health care practices in underserved rural areas by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to help ensure access to care for rural residents. 

“Rural Health Clinics are critical partners in addressing health equity gaps, including those related to vaccination,” said HRSA Acting Administrator Diana Espinosa. “This funding will help Rural Health Clinics address the barriers people in their communities face to getting vaccinated and build confidence in vaccines through trusted resources for health care services and health information.”

HRSA was also awarded a $750,000 cooperative agreement to the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health to provide technical assistance to the RHCs participating in this Program.

Below is a state-by-state breakdown of the funding available:

More information about HRSA’s rural programs is linked here.