The Shadow
On January 28th, the White House Administration enacted a pause on all federal grants and
other programs. While a Federal judge has placed an administrative stay on the pause, there
are doubts that the concerns can be resolved before the stay expires on February 3rd. For the
Virginia Rural Health Association, this means an uncertain future for:
• Programs for prevention, treatment, and recovery for Substance Use Disorders
• Programs to increase the healthcare workforce capacity
• Programs to support the financial health of rural hospitals and Rural Health Clinics
• Programs to support access to physical activity, nutrition, and maternal and infant
health
• Programs to address the syndemic of opioids/HIV/HCV
Virginia Rural Health Association Executive Director Beth O’Connor commented: “while the
Office of Management and Budget has stated that the pause is temporary, it will likely take an
extended length of time to review nearly $3 trillion in federal programs affected by the pause.”
In addition to VRHA programs, this pause put a freeze on nearly $200M in federal funding
which is intended to support rural Virginia, including assistance for rural hospitals and
community health centers, community programs, research, workforce development, and loan
repayments and scholarships for young health professionals who should be the future of rural health in Virginia.
These programs are vitally important, as rural communities not only ensure access to care, but
also improve the economic status of rural communities and enhance the quality of care in these
small towns across America. It is in these small towns and rural communities where these
limited federal dollars make the greatest impact.
“These core rural programs have long demonstrated their value and tremendous success in
ensuring access to care in rural communities across the country. As such, we request that the
funding continue while these reviews are completed,” O’Connor said. “We encourage anyone
who cares about rural communities to reach out to their members of Congress and demand the
freeze be lifted.
A statement released by the National Rural Health Association noted; “This freeze is intended
to allow an internal review by political appointees to ensure that the grant funds are consistent
with the agenda of the administration. Since the administration transition is not complete, it is
unclear when these reviews will occur in the future. Until such time, it appears all funds will be
frozen.”
About the Virginia Rural Health Association:
The Virginia Rural Health Association (VRHA) is a nonprofit organization working for the 2.5
million people who call rural Virginia their home. Our mission is to improve the health of rural
Virginians through education, advocacy, and fostering cooperative partnerships.
Additional information can be found at www.VRHA.org
