Colorado Rural Outreach Program (CROP)

CROP HAS BEEN SUSPENDED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. SORRY FOR THIS INCONVENIENCE.

The purpose of the Colorado Rural Outreach Program (CROP) is to strengthen the ability of Colorado’s rural communities to recruit and retain healthcare professionals. CROP grants can be used to recruit healthcare professionals to your facility or to retain healthcare professionals already on your staff by repaying portions of their educational loans. The funds can also be used as a retention bonus if all educational loans are paid off. CROP currently offers two grant cycles per year, as funds are available, in the spring and fall.

To receive CROP funding a facility must apply on behalf of their healthcare professional providing direct patient care.

The CROP grant is a matching funds program. The 100% match may be provided by the healthcare facility, community organizations, businesses, personal donors, or any combination of funders. The CROP program encourages businesses, communities and healthcare facilities to work collaboratively to solve their workforce shortage issues. Recruiting and retaining healthcare professionals can be greatly enhanced when it is a community inclusive effort.

Eligibility Requirements:

  • Applicant facility must apply on behalf of one or more than one healthcare professional(s).
  • Applicant facility must be considered ‘rural’, as defined as a county outside Colorado’s 17 metropolitan statistical areas.
  • Applicant facility may apply on behalf of any licensed healthcare professional providing direct patient care.
  • Applicant facility must have financial ability to match funds.
  • Healthcare professional awardee is obligated to commit one year of service to the facility that applies on their behalf, from date of award.
  • If a healthcare professional is eligible for Colorado Health Service Corp (CHSC) or National Health Service Corp (NHSC), they will not be eligible for CROP. Click the following links for more information on CHSC or NHSC.

**Colorado Rural Health Center (CRHC) awards these grants to the organization, rather than the individual provider. As a result, CRHC is not responsible for issuing a 1099 to the individual provider. Healthcare professional is responsible for consulting with their accountant regarding the issuance of 1099s.

Application Process

CROP spring cycle has been postponed until further notice. Please check back late May, early June for updates. Sorry for this inconvenience.

This application for CROP has been updated. Please read the supplication packet and coversheet very carefully as changes have been made. Please click here for the coversheet and click here for the application packet.

When the cycle opens you will fill out and save the coversheet in Microsoft Word. You will be able to submit your application via e-mail, or postal mail. If submitting via email, please make the narrative and all attachments ONE inclusive document. The coversheet may be separate. Please send your CROP application to:

Attn: Workforce Department
Colorado Rural Health Center
3033 S. Parker Rd., Suite 606
Aurora, CO 80014
rp@coruralhealth.org
Main: 303.832.7493 x 233
Fax: 303.832.7496

Awards will be announced approximately one month from the application deadline.

History of CROP
CROP was started in 1998 by the Colorado Medical Society. It was housed in the Colorado Medical Society Foundation (CMSF) until the Fall of 2005 when CROP was moved to the Colorado Rural Health Center. While housed at CMSF, CROP awarded over $1 million in grants to rural communities throughout Colorado. Since moving to the Colorado Rural Health Center, CROP has been continuously supported by grants from various foundations and private donations, including CMSF, The Colorado Health Foundation, the Colorado Trust, Caring for Colorado and El Pomar.