§ 9-2-127 — Community health centers and rural health clinics; process for grants facilitating capital construction, start up costs and equipment costs; account established; grant criteria

(a) There is created a process for grants facilitating
capital construction and for start up costs and equipment costs
of community health centers and rural health clinics. The
process shall be administered by the Wyoming department of
health, which shall award grants in accordance with this section
and consistent with the requirements imposed for the receipt of
any federal grants when applicable.
(b) The primary care support account is created. The
account shall consist of those funds appropriated to the account
by the legislature and all monies received from federal grants
and other contributions, grants, gifts, transfers, bequests and
donations to the account. The account is specifically empowered
to accept grants, gifts, transfers, bequests and donations.
Funds in the account are continuously appropriated to the
department for the purpose of providing grants under subsections
(c) and (d) of this section.
(c) The department shall establish by rule and regulation
an application procedure and calendar for grants awarded under
this section and adopt other rules as necessary to implement
this section.
(d) Any grants provided by the department under this
section that are funded in whole or in part with state funds
shall be subject to the following:
(i) Before submission to the department, and
following public notice and a hearing, the application shall be
approved by the board of county commissioners for the county in
which the community health center or rural health clinic is
located or proposed to be located;
(ii) Grants may be made to community health centers
and rural health clinics for one-time startup costs of a new
center or clinic, for existing centers or clinics to expand the
population served or initiate new services for existing or new
centers or clinics to facilitate compliance with quality
criteria. The grants shall be used for capital expenses, start
up costs and equipment costs only and shall not be used for
ongoing operating expenses;
(iii) Grants to any one (1) center or clinic shall
not exceed one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) of state funds;
(iv) Grant applications shall include evidence of a
commitment of local matching funds of at least twenty-five
percent (25%) of the state funds grant amount in cash, in kind
or both;
(v) Centers or clinics awarded a grant shall provide
services to the public regardless of the ability to pay; and
(vi) Repealed by Laws 2021, ch. 54, § 2.
(vii) Grants shall be awarded only if the applicant
can demonstrate an operating plan that integrates health care
services within the entire service community to promote
accessibility and quality of care. The plan shall provide for
integration enhancement through the use of the Medicare and
Medicaid electronic health records program, the small rural
hospital improvement program and other similar programs.
(e) A grant recipient under this section shall agree to
provide health care services in an underserved community of the
state, from among a list of communities developed by the
department, for a period of at least three (3) years under the
agreement. The recipient shall accept as its first priority and
treat without reservation patients qualified under the Medical
Assistance and Services Act, Title XVIII of the federal Social
Security Act and the child health insurance program who seek
medical care which the health care provider is qualified to
provide.
(f) The department of health, office of rural health care,
shall:
(i) Conduct outreach and education among persons,
entities and groups interested in forming a community health
center or rural health clinic and submitting a new access point
grant application to the United States department of health and
human services, health resources and services administration;
(ii) Collect and maintain appropriate data regarding
the primary care support program's effect on improvements in
community and rural health.
(g) Repealed by Laws 2021, ch. 54, § 2.