Grand Canyon Times

TUCSON, Arizona — The Arizona Center for Rural Health, part of the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, has been awarded two grants by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to support health services in rural communities. These areas have historically lagged behind urban regions in healthcare access.

The first grant will provide $3.17 million over five years for the Arizona Rural Hospital Flexibility Program. This program supports Critical Access Hospitals in rural areas with training, data collection, analysis, and dissemination to improve patient care quality and operational performance. It has been continuously funded for the past 26 years.

The second grant will provide $1.25 million over five years to develop and implement seven programs aimed at recruiting and training high-performing paramedics for rural emergency medical services (EMS) providers. EMS agencies in these communities often struggle to recruit entry-level employees and retain skilled paramedics.

“The funds from these two HRSA grants will strengthen our collaborating network of medical care and services in rural Arizona,” said Dan Derksen, MD, professor and director of the Arizona Center for Rural Health at the Zuckerman College of Public Health. He is also associate vice president for health equity, outreach, and interprofessional activities at the University of Arizona Health Sciences. “It will help us train, attract, and retain skilled medical providers and emergency medical responders in our rural communities to enhance access to health services and improve health outcomes in our state.”

Arizona’s Rural Hospital Flexibility Program provides technical assistance, training, and information resources for the population served by Arizona’s 17 Critical Access Hospitals and 55 Rural Health Clinics—32 of which are affiliated with Critical Access Hospitals—as well as trauma and EMS providers.

Arizona has a large rural population that is underserved. Using funds from the HRSA grant, the Center for Rural Health is collaborating with the U of A College of Medicine – Tucson’s Department of Emergency Medicine and the Arizona Department of Health Services to implement emergency medical responder and critical care paramedic programs at seven rural EMS agencies.

The critical care paramedic program aims to retain high-performing paramedics through advanced training while supporting critical care transport programs' implementation. Entry-level EMS providers will be recruited and trained to function as emergency medical responders within rural EMS teams. Additionally, this project seeks sustainability by implementing critical care billing programs at rural EMS agencies.

“I’m so proud of all that our Arizona Center for Rural Health has accomplished to improve health and medical services for our rural communities,” said Iman Hakim MBBCh PhD dean of the Zuckerman College of Public Health “These two grants will advance the good work that has already been done to improve public health and medical care for all Arizonans.”