Federal Resources

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) -- The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is the lead agency charged with supporting research designed to improve the quality of health care, reduce its cost, and broaden access to essential issues. This link will take you directly to the page on the AHRQ website that addresses rural health issues.

Bureau of Primary Health Care Programs (BPHC) -- The Bureau of Primary Health Care Programs is the largest bureau within the Health Resources and Services Administration. It provides support for high-quality, community-based preventive and primary care to underserved populations and people with special need.

Community Health Center Program -- The Community Health Center (CHS) Program is a Federal grant program funded under Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act to provide for primary and preventive health care services in medically underserved areas throughout the U.S. and its territories. CHCs provide family-oriented primary and preventive health care services for people living in rural and urban medically underserved communities. They exist in areas where economic, geographic, or cultural barriers limit access to primary health care.

Migrant Health Program -- The Migrant Health Program is a federal grant program funded under Section 330g of the Public Health Service Act to provide primary health care services in medically underserved areas throughout the U.S. and its territories. Migrant Health Centers (MHC) and Migrant Health Program (MHP) provide migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their families access to comprehensive medical care services with a culturally sensitive focus.

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) -- This department is the U.S. government’s principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves. HHS includes more than 300 programs and is the largest grant-making agency in the federal fovernment.

Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) -- This organization works with all federal agencies, states, foundations, and private sector organizations to seek solutions to rural America’s health care problems. This site includes links to federal, national and state resources.

Rural Health Research Centers -- This program is administered by the Office of Rural Health Policy, Health Resources and Services Administration and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) -- This organization provides lists of all areas, population groups, and facilities designated as primary medical care, mental health, and dental health professional shortage areas.

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) -- This organization directs national health programs which improve the health of the nation by assuring quality health care to underserved, vulnerable, and special-need populations and by promoting appropriate health professions workforce capacity and practice, particularly in primary care and public health.

United States-Mexico Border Health Commission -- This is a binational commission that was appointed to identify, evaluate, prevent, and resolve health problems that affect the border populations.

Indian Health Service (IHS) -- The IHS is an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is responsible for providing federal health services to American Indians and Alaskan Natives.

National Library of Medicine (NLM) -- The National Library of Medicine (NLM) is the world's largest medical library. It collects materials in all areas of biomedicine and health care.

Rural Information Center Health Service (RICHS) -- RICHS is a joint project of the Office of Rural Health Policy, the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Agricultural Library (NAL), and the USDA. Operating as part of NAL's Rural Information Center (RIC), RICHS collects and disseminates information on rural health issues.