Project Grant P1053737

This $100,000 Rural Health Network Development Planning Grant, awarded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) under the Rural Health Care Services Outreach, Rural Health Network Development and Small Health Care Provider Quality Improvement program (CFDA 93.912), will support the High Sierra Area Health Education Center, Inc. (High Sierra AHEC) in developing the SGM Rural Health Network to address healthcare disparities faced by sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations in rural Nevada.

The key goals of this planning grant are to: 1) conduct a community health and provider needs assessment to identify areas of high need and address the scarcity of primary care and health services for the rural SGM population; 2) grow a collaboration network of healthcare providers skilled in treating SGM patients in rural areas; 3) bolster regional systems of care to better meet the needs of rural SGM patients; and 4) identify financial gaps obstructing healthcare access in these communities. High Sierra AHEC, a long-standing non-profit organization focused on rural healthcare workforce development, plans to achieve these aims by establishing a dedicated staff position, providing SGM healthcare education to rural providers, and facilitating a referral network to improve care coordination and access for the target population.