(1) The community health care collaborative grant program is established to further the efforts of community-based coalitions to increase access to appropriate, affordable health care for Washington residents, particularly employed low-income persons and children in school who are uninsured and underinsured, through local programs addressing one or more of the following: (a) Access to medical treatment; (b) the efficient use of health care resources; and (c) quality of care.

(2) Consistent with funds appropriated for community health care collaborative grants specifically for this purpose, two-year grants may be awarded pursuant to RCW 41.05.660 by the director of the health care authority.

(3) The health care authority shall provide administrative support for the program. Administrative support activities may include health care authority facilitation of statewide discussions regarding best practices and standardized performance measures among grantees, or subcontracting for such discussions.

(4) Eligibility for community health care collaborative grants shall be limited to nonprofit organizations established to serve a defined geographic region or organizations with public agency status under the jurisdiction of a local, county, or tribal government. To be eligible, such entities must have a formal collaborative governance structure and decision-making process that includes representation by the following health care providers: Hospitals, public health, behavioral health, community health centers, rural health clinics, and private practitioners that serve low-income persons in the region, unless there are no such providers within the region, or providers decline or refuse to participate or place unreasonable conditions on their participation. The nature and format of the application, and the application procedure, shall be determined by the director of the health care authority. At a minimum, each application shall: (a) Identify the geographic region served by the organization; (b) show how the structure and operation of the organization reflects the interests of, and is accountable to, this region and members providing care within this region; (c) indicate the size of the grant being requested, and how the money will be spent; and (d) include sufficient information for an evaluation of the application based on the criteria established in RCW 41.05.660.