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Delta Region Community Health Systems Development (DRCHSD) Program

The DRCHSD Program helps rural Delta communities to address health care needs and strengthen the local health care system through comprehensive technical assistance.

The Delta Region of the U.S. — which includes parts of eight states (Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee) — is known as one of the most historic and culturally rich parts of the country. But it’s also an area that has a history of economic and social challenges, including access to quality health care.

Since 2017, the Delta Region Community Health Systems Development (DRCHSD) Program — funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, in partnership with the Delta Regional Authority, and administered by the National Rural Health Resource Center — has worked to maintain the stability of the region’s health care facilities, ensuring rural residents have much-needed access to care.

The DRCHSD Program works with health care leaders and providers to identify their community’s health care needs and strengthen health care delivery through direct support in the areas of financial and operational efficiency, quality improvement, telehealth, community care coordination, population health, emergency medical services, and workforce recruitment and retention.

There's always something new on the horizon that you need to change and adapt for; the Delta Program helped us grow financially to be more sustainable so that we can adapt in the future. That fresh set of eyes has been invauable.

Lisa Twidwell, CEO, Madison Medical Center

Over a three-year period, participating hospitals, clinics and other health care organizations and their communities receive a range of technical assistance services — one-on-one consultations with subject matter 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 provided at no cost and with the goal of helping the organizations to make in-depth health systems enhancements to implement best practices, build partnerships, and collaborate for sustainability.

Since the program’s inception, 54 health care organizations have participated.

The Delta Region Community Health Systems Development Program supports participating health care organizations and their communities as they make in-depth health system enhancements.

Read more about program goals

Each year, the Delta Region Community Health Systems Development (DRCHSD) Program selects 10 health care organizations to participate and receive technical assistance support.

Eligible DRCHSD applicants include critical access hospitals, small rural hospitals (inpatient prospective payment system facilities with up to 100 beds), rural health clinics and other health care organizations located in Delta Regional Authority (DRA) designated counties and parishes.

Read more about eligibility and the application process

Impact

Participants in the Delta Region Community Health Systems Development Program's 2019 cohort increased their net patient revenue by nearly 12% and operating revenue by about 13% over an average of 23 months.

Upcoming Events

This webinar will provide an overview of the current telehealth policy landscape.
DRCHSD 2024 National Health Service Corps Webinar
DRA invests in regional leadership through its annual Delta Leadership Institute Executive Academy. Fellows representing each of the eight DRA states are selected by the eight governors and the Federal Co-Chairman from a competitive pool of applicants that represent both public and private sectors

Program Contacts

Telehealth & Outreach Program Manager
Community Program Manager
Consultation Program Manager
Operations Manager

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $10,000,000 with 100% funded by HRSA/HHS and $0 amount and 0% funded by non-government sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by HRSA/HHS, or the U.S. Government.