CLARKSDALE, Miss. – Five health care facilities have been selected to participate in the 2024 cohort of the Delta Region Community Health Systems Development (DRCHSD) program, a partnership program between the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) and the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Federal Office of Rural Health Policy.
Located in Arkansas, Illinois and Louisiana, five health care facilities have been selected to participate in the DRCHSD program, which provides technical assistance and support to critical access hospitals, small rural hospitals, rural health clinics and other health care organizations to enhance health care delivery within the Delta region. Members of the 2024 cohort include:
Mid-Delta Health Systems, Clarendon, Arkansas, a federally qualified health center serving Monroe and Arkansas counties;
Ferrell Hospital, Eldorado, Illinois, a critical access hospital serving Saline County;
Michael Brooks Family Clinic, Ruston, Louisiana, a rural health clinic serving Lincoln Parish;
Riverside Medical Center, Franklinton, Louisiana, a critical access hospital serving Washington Parish; and
Plaquemines Medical Center, Port Sulphur, Louisiana, a federally qualified health center serving Plaquemines Parish.
“Access to affordable, high-quality health care and services is crucial for improving residents’ quality of life and fostering economic prosperity in rural communities,” said Dr. Corey Wiggins, DRA Federal Co-Chairman. “Investing in intensive technical assistance for health care providers through the Delta Region Community Health Systems Development program not only enhances health care delivery but also serves as catalyst for economic development in rural communities across DRA’s region.”
In 2017, DRA partnered with the HRSA’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy to develop the DRCHSD program to help rural communities within the eight-state Delta region address health care needs and strengthen the local health care system. Administered by the National Rural Health Resource Center, which provides technical assistance led by subject matter experts, the DRCHSD program has worked to maintain the stability of the region’s health care facilities, ensuring rural residents have much-need access to care. Since its inception, more than 60 health care organizations, from seven cohorts, have participated in the program, representing 40 communities across all eight states.
“We welcome the leaders and communities of these five Delta region health care organizations to this significant program that builds sustainability through financial, operational, quality, and community health improvement,” said Sally Buck, CEO of the National Rural Health Resource Center. “In addition, through DRCHSD, we build capacity in telehealth, community care coordination, and workforce engagement with the participating organizations.”
Over the course of three years, the participating health care facilities and their communities will receive a range of technical assistance services, including individual consultations with specialty experts; assistance in developing a community care coordination plan; participation in assessments and feasibility studies; guidance in developing and implementing telehealth services; and access to educational and training sessions — all at no cost to the participants, with the goal of helping the organizations make in-depth health systems enhancements to implement best practices, build partnerships and collaborate for sustainability.
For more information about the DRCHSD program, visit www.dra.gov and www.ruralcenter.org/programs/drchsd for featured stories.
About the Delta Regional Authority
The DRA was established in 2000 as a formal framework for joint federal-state collaboration to promote and encourage the economic development of the lower Mississippi River and Alabama Black Belt regions. To fulfill this purpose, DRA invests in projects supporting transportation infrastructure, basic public infrastructure, workforce training, and business development. DRA’s region encompasses 252 counties and parishes in parts of Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee.