Rural Health

Office of Primary Care and Rural Health Programs

• Alabama Medical Service Awards (ARMSA)
• Free Medical Placement Services
• Health Professional Shortage Area Designations
• J-1 Visa Waiver Program
• Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program (FLEX)
• National Health Service Corps Scholarship and Loan Repayment for Health Professionals
• Small Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP)
• Telehealth Resources

We serve the following:

• Communities
• County Health Departments
• Critical Access Hospitals
• Federally Qualified Health Centers
• Mental Health Centers
• Physician Practices
• Rural Health Clinics
• Small Rural Hospitals

The Alabama Office of Primary Care and Rural Health collaborates with the Alabama Family Practice Rural Health Board (AFPRHB) through State Match Funding. Since its inception, the AFPRHB has provided state funding for specialized projects from residency programs, medical schools, and other institutions seeking to enhance medical education.

For more information, visit the AFPRHB page.

Important Rural Health Resources

Rural Transportation

The OPCRH has provided a list of public, private, and non-emergency transportation services by county.

Additional Resources

The following resources are funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy to provide timely information on rural health issues, best practices, and other useful information.

Rural Health Clinic Application Process

Establishing a Rural Health Clinic (RHC) involves a structured multi-step process:

• Verify Eligibility: Check your clinic address for rural status and Health Professional Shortage Area eligibility using the Rural Health Information Hub.
• Submit CMS Forms: File CMS Form 855A with your Medicare Administrative Contractor (Palmetto GBA) and submit CMS Form 29 to the Bureau of Health Provider Standards.
• Prepare for the Site Survey: Confirm your survey readiness with the state or notify an alternate surveyor. You can prepare by reviewing the State Operations Manual Appendix G and CMS Quality in Focus Training modules.

For direct guidance through the process, reach out to Karl Bryant or Tammie Williams.

Karl Bryant: 334-206-5517 | [email protected]

Tammie Williams: 334-314-1729 | [email protected]

Rural Health Information Hub (RHIHub)

RHIhub This Week is sent out weekly with links to resources on current news, funding opportunities, publications, the latest RHIhub toolkits, model programs, Rural Monitor articles, and more.

• Subscribe to RHIhub This Week

Rural Health Research Gateway
The Gateway provides publication and project information from 1997 to the present. This site can be used to find completed rural health research publications, information about the research centers and individual researchers, and current research center projects.

• Subscribe to Gateway's listserv to receive an email when a new research product is released or when a free rural health webinar is scheduled.

For more valuable resources, visit our Resources page.