Rural Health Clinic Vaccine Confidence (RHCVC) Program

Program Summary

The Rural Health Clinic Vaccine Confidence (RHCVC) Program supports vaccine outreach in rural communities. These efforts include the following:

  • Helping to increase vaccine confidence and uptake;
  • Improving health care in rural areas;
  • Reinforcing basic messages about prevention and treatment of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases;
  • Accessing vaccinations;
  • Education and outreach efforts around vaccine benefits and safety;
  • Vaccine promotion;
  • Providing information to rural residents about how and where to get vaccinated; and
  • Coordinating with existing vaccination sites and public health partners to identify isolated and/or vaccine hesitant populations.

The RHCVC Program is a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) initiative to improve vaccine confidence and counter vaccine hesitancy in rural communities where COVID-19 vaccine uptake lags in comparison to more populated areas.

The program will address health equity gaps by offering support and resources to medically underserved rural communities.

Program Details

Over 1,980 CMS-certified RHCs applied for grants through the RHCVC Program. HRSA made grant awards to RHC organizations based on the number of certified clinic sites they operate, providing approximately $49,500 per clinic site.

See the total funding by state

Application Information:

Financial Management Reviews

Starting February 22, 2022, HRSA will begin limited Financial Management Reviews (FMR) of all RHC Vaccine Confidence grant recipients who have not already had a recent FMR completed or who have not had a recent single audit performed. HRSA’s Division of Financial Integrity (DFI), located within the Office of Federal Assistance Management (OFAM), will perform these reviews. Their goal is to determine your organization’s capability for financial management of federal funds. The FMR can help you ensure that your organizational policies include the necessary financial management categories needed to administer your awards according to federal regulations and grant terms and conditions. Please reach out to rhcvaxconfidence@HRSA.gov with any questions about this process.

Webinars

First Quarter Review Calls

The first quarter review regional calls took place October 21st – 29th, 2021 and provided grantees with an opportunity to share early program successes. The link below has a recording of key program updates shared on the calls.

RHCVC Program First Quarter Review Regional Call Recording

Second Quarter Review Calls

The second quarter review calls took place January 25th, 27th, and 31st, 2022. Each of the three calls featured different RHCVC grantees who shared examples of vaccine confidence building activities in their communities. The following links provide recordings of key program updates shared on the calls and the grantee presentations.

RHCVC Program Second Quarter Review Call Recordings:

Third Quarter Review Calls

HRSA’s RHCVC program staff hosted the third quarter review call on April 28, 2022. They provided an overview of close out procedures and no cost extension prior approval requests. Please email the program inbox at rhcvaxconfidence@HRSA.gov if you would like a pdf of the slides.

RHCVC Third Quarter Review Call Recording

Fiscal Technical Assistance Webinar

Fiscal Technical Assistance Webinar Recording

Payment Management System Training Webinar

Payment Management System Webinar Recording

Financial Management Review Webinar

Financial Management Review Webinar Recording

HRSA Rural Health Clinic Vaccine Confidence Kick-Off Webinar

RHCVC Program Kick Off Webinar Recording

HRSA Rural Health Clinic Vaccine Confidence Technical Assistance Webinar

RHCVC Program Technical Assistance Webinar Recording

RHCVC Program Technical Assistance Webinar Slides (PDF - 1 MB)

Please contact RHCVaxConfidence@hrsa.gov for additional information.

Grants.gov Applicant Overview Technical Assistance Webinar

RHCVC Program Grants.gov Applicant Overview Webinar Recording

RHCVC Program Grants.gov Applicant Overview Webinar Slides (PDF - 4 MB)*

Please contact support@grants.gov or 800-518-4726 for additional Grants.gov questions.

More Information

Disparities in COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage Between Urban and Rural Counties – United States, December 14, 2020 – April 10, 2021 (CDC/MMWR, May 2021)

Vaccine Hesitancy for COVID-19: State, County, and Local Estimates (HHS/ASPE March 2021)

HHS-Funded COVID-19 Vaccine Outreach

COVID-19 Public Education Campaign

We Can Do This, Rural Community Toolkit

Vaccinate with Confidence

NIH’s Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL)

RHIhub, COVID-19 Vaccination in Rural Areas

Date Last Reviewed: