The partnership between the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) exists to address persistent health access issues in rural and economically distressed communities across the Northern Border region. NBRC brings regional development expertise and a mandate to strengthen economic vitality, while HRSA contributes technical expertise and federal dollars for improving access to health services. Together, we coordinate investments—such as workforce development, training pipelines, and capacity-building projects—to expand behavioral health, primary care, and other critical services. The goal of the partnership is to further meet the region’s health workforce and service-delivery gaps. For more information, contact Rural Healthcare Coordinator, Liz Cross at ecross@nbrc.gov.
Two programs are run by HRSA in the Northern Border region, with funding available contingent upon fiscal year and Congressional Appropriations:
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Rural Northern Border Region Outreach Program: promoting delivery of health services to rural underserved populations. Anticipated notice of availability in 2027
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Rural Communities Opioid Response Program - Northern Border Rural Workforce: improving health care by enhancing behavioral health workforce capacity. Anticipated notice of availability in 2029
HRSA-NBRC Partnership Programs History
Funded through the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
NEW: FY 2026 Rural Northern Border Region Network Planning Program - Application Deadline July 10, 2026$1.8 million available to approximately 18 projects across Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont to support the development and strengthening of rural healthcare networks. The program uses a one-year network planning model to bring together at least three healthcare organizations to improve coordination, expand access to care, enhance service quality, and strengthen overall rural health systems. Projects will focus on building or enhancing cross-sector partnerships and developing strategies for long-term sustainability following the planning period. |
FY 2025 Rural Communities Opioid Response Program - Northern Border Rural Workforce (RCORP-NBRW)Over 3 million awarded to 8 programs that aim to strengthen rural health care in the NBRC region by expanding behavioral health workforce capacity. They will use a network-based model to deliver training and job placement for behavioral health professionals in underserved rural communities. The first year focuses on planning and building the network, while the following three years will be dedicated to implementing training and workforce placement. FY 2024 Rural Northern Border Region Outreach ProgramOver 3 million awarded to 13 programs across the region to improve access to healthcare through the expansion and delivery of new and enhanced services including mental and behavioral health, workforce development, care coordination, patient engagement, telehealth, etc. FY 2022 Northern Border Region Healthcare Support Program1.99 million awarded to the Rural Health Redesign Center to create an NBR Technical Assistance Center designed to assisting NBR healthcare organizations improve healthcare access, transition to value-based care and recruit and retain healthcare workers. FY 2022 Northern Border Region Healthcare Support Program Supplemental Funding1.1 million sub-awarded to 7 organizations in Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont to support programs designed to enhance healthcare services to rural residents in all four states. FY 2021 Rural Behavioral Health Workforce Centers (RBHWC) – Northern Border2.5 million awarded to 4 projects across the NBR to strengthen behavioral health care in rural NBRC communities by training and mentoring health professionals, paraprofessionals, and community members to better address behavioral health and substance use disorders. The program required forming a strategic multi-sector network, assessing regional needs, and implementing accessible, equity-focused training programs across the full rural service area. FY 2021 Rural Northern Border Region Planning Program$759,725 awarded for Rural Northern Border Region Planning Program grants to support health care organizations in the planning and identifying of key rural health issues in the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) service areas. |