View this in your browser July 16, 2026What's NewRural Hospital Financial Performance: Tools for Data-Driven Decision Making – Tuesday, July 21 at 1:00 pm Eastern. Experts from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and the North Carolina Rural Health Research Center will introduce two new, data-driven tools that provide valuable insights into the financial health of rural hospitals. These include ASPE’s Rural Hospital Financial Performance Dashboard launched in May. Learn how these complementary resources can support planning, policy, research, and decision-making. HRSA Delta States Rural Development Network Program – Apply by August 12. This FORHP program seeks to improve access to, coordination of, and quality of health care services and associated health outcomes with a focus on 1) diabetes, 2) cardiovascular disease, 3) obesity, 4) acute ischemic stroke, 5) chronic lower respiratory disease, 6) cancer, or 7) unintentional injury/substance use in rural communities within the service area of the Delta Regional Authority. Applicants must demonstrate experience serving, or capacity to serve, populations in rural areas within the eight Mississippi Delta Region States (Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee). For more information about this funding opportunity, you can listen to the pre-recorded webinar. ERS: Access to WIC-Authorized Vendors and High-Speed Internet Services in Urban and Rural Areas. To improve access to prescribed foods through the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), state agencies have been offering online shopping options for enrolled families. This report from the USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) examines the availability of high-speed internet needed to access these options, distance to the nearest WIC-authorized dealer, and compares rural and urban areas. The ERS also just released Food Banks in the United States: Systems, USDA Programs, and Participation. HRSA Poverty Assessment and Investment Dashboard. HRSA’s Data Warehouse launched a new resource with an interactive map that shows, by county, how HRSA funding reaches highest need communities. The dashboard allows anyone – Congressional staff, researchers, advocates, journalists, and members of the public – to examine how HRSA investments were distributed between fiscal years 2021 and 2025. The data are disaggregated by race, sex, age, disability status, and urban/suburban/rural residence.
Previously Announced FORHP FundingDelta Rural Integrated Health Network Program – Apply by July 17. The Delta Rural Integrated Health Network Program seeks to improve healthcare delivery in the region by supporting the development of integrated health networks among rural hospitals, primary care clinics, behavioral health providers, and other essential healthcare organizations in the Delta region. Rural Health Network Advancement Program (RHNAP) – Apply by July 24. The RHNAP is a new program that supports existing Rural Health Networks expand and evolve their work to meet the growing needs of their rural member hospitals and clinics. Rural Hospital Provider Assistance (RHPA) Program – Apply by July 27. The RHPA Program provides direct financial assistance to eligible rural hospitals (does not include Critical Access Hospitals) facing structural payment disadvantages with the goal of maintaining essential health care services and preventing avoidable closures. Eligibility for this program is based on methodology outlined in a Federal Register Notice. Small Health Care Provider Quality Improvement Program – Apply by August 6. Small rural healthcare facilities improve quality improvement culture by building capacity to effectively collect and use clinical data while implementing evidence-based approaches to improve health care quality with a particular focus on improving chronic disease outcomes. You can view a recording of the technical assistance webinar.
Funding and OpportunitiesACL Alzheimer's Disease Programs Initiative (ADPI) - State Programs for Dementia Specific Respite – August 3. The Administration for Community Living (ACL) expects to make 30 awards with total funding estimated at more than $54 million. Awards will go to State Units on Aging to provide respite for unpaid family caregiver of people with Alzheimer’s Disease or related dementia (ADRD). A current research project funded by FORHP seeks to identify what is known about rural ADRD prevalence, outcomes, and health care utilization to inform effective policy. Applications for a related program, also from ACL, Dementia Capable Community Health Worker Programs are also due on August 3. ACF Child Abuse Prevention in Migrant and Tribal Communities – August 7. The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) provides grants to tribes, tribal organizations, and migrant programs to develop, operate, expand, enhance, and coordinate activities to reduce the likelihood of child abuse and neglect. Eligible applicants include Tribes, Tribal organizations, migrant programs, and nonprofit organizations. ACF Regional Partnership Grants – August 7. Funding from the Administration for Community Living (ACL) to support collaborative regional partnerships between child welfare agencies, substance use treatment agencies, and juvenile or state courts to support programs for families whose children are in or at risk of being placed in an out-of-home placement due to a caregiver's substance use. Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) Catalyst Program – Required Letters of Intent August 18. This program provides funding for economic development initiatives in the service area of the Northern Border Regional Commission that includes Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont. Project areas include basic healthcare; public, transportation, and telecommunications infrastructure; and workforce development priority given to rural and disadvantaged communities. NTIA Native Entities Grant Program – September 17. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) estimates 100 awards with total program funding of $250 million for grants to expand broadband access for Indian Tribes, Alaska Native entities, and Native Hawaiian organizations under the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program and the Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program.
Policy UpdatesSend questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov. Re-establishment of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services (NACRHHS). This federal advisory committee will provide recommendations to the Secretary of Health and Human Services on improving health care and human services in rural communities across the nation. Additional information is available on the NACRHHS website. Medicare Proposes Changes to Medicare Home Health Program – Comment by August 31. On July 1, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the Calendar Year (CY) 2027 Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) Rate Update proposed rule, which updates the Medicare payment policies and rates for home health agencies (HHAs). CMS estimates that Medicare payments to HHAs in CY 2027 would increase by approximately 2.4% (about $420 million) compared to CY 2026, based on the proposed behavior adjustments for the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) and the fixed-dollar loss for outlier payments for CY 2027. Additionally, this rule discusses provision of palliative care services under the Medicare home health benefit and includes a request for information (RFI) regarding the construction of a home health specific wage index. All comments are due in the federal register by 5 pm EDT, August 31, 2026. CMS Seeks Input on the CY 2027 Medicare Hospital Outpatient Payment System Proposed Rule – Comment by August 31. Earlier this month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Calendar Year (CY) 2027 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) Proposed Rule, which updates Medicare payment policies and rates for hospital outpatient departments. Proposals include changes to the cost-of-living adjustment for hospitals in Hawaii and Alaska, reduced Medicare payments for drugs purchased through the 340B Drug Pricing Program, and expanded site-neutral payment policies for imaging without contrast services furnished in excepted off-campus provider-based departments. The proposed rule also codifies Section 6225 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 by establishing new requirements for off-campus provider-based departments, including the use of location-specific National Provider Identifiers and provider-based attestations as conditions for OPPS payment beginning in 2028. In addition, CMS requests information on potential approaches to strengthen the standardization and comparability of Hospital Price Transparency data.
Resource of the WeekPodcast: Virtual Roads to Real Recovery. Listen or read the transcript of this episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast focusing on strategies used by the Mercy Virtual Substance Use Recovery Program to build trust and provide patients a seamless bridge into substance use treatment. This is part 2 in a 3-part series featuring the 2026 Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) Innovation Tank finalists, with Mercy vSURP's work winning third place.
Approaching DeadlinesSAMHSA Building Communities of Recovery – July 16 SAMHSA Rural Emergency Medical Services Training – July 16 SAMHSA Rural Opioid Technical Assistance Centers – July 16 SAMHSA Services Program for Residential Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women – July 16 SAMHSA Tribal Behavioral Health: Suicide Prevention – July 16 SAMHSA Tribal Opioid Response Grants – July 16 HRSA Delta Rural Integrated Health Network Program – July 17 HRSA Grants to States to Support Oral Health Workforce Activities – July 17 HRSA Nurse Education, Practice, Quality, and Retention – Transition to Practice Program – July 17 HRSA Public Health Training Centers Program – July 17 HRSA Screening and Treatment for Maternal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders – July 17 HRSA Maternal Health Emergency Management Training – July 20 HHS Protecting and Rehabilitating Sexually Exploited Women and Girls Through Long-Term Safe Homes – July 20 HHS Protecting Women and Girls through Founding and Replication of Existing Long-Term Safe Homes – July 20 HRSA Maternal Produce Prescription Program – July 20 HRSA Faculty Loan Repayment Program – Deadline Extended to July 21 Proposed Changes to Medicaid Managed Care State Directed Payments and Targeted Medicaid Fee-For-Service Payments – Comment by July 21 ACL Alzheimer’s Disease Programs Initiative – Dementia Capability in Indian Country – July 22 ACL Alzheimer’s Disease Programs Initiative – State and Community Grant Program – July 22 FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Grants – July 23 Department of Labor Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities (WORC) Round 7 – July 23 CMS Releases 2027 End-Stage Renal Disease Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule – Comment by August 24 FEMA Tribal Homeland Security Grant – July 24 HRSA Rural Health Network Advancement Program – July 24 DOJ Demonstration Program on Trauma-Informed, Victim Centered Training for Law Enforcement on Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking (Abby Honold) Program – July 27 HRSA Rural Hospital Provider Assistance Program – July 27 SAMHSA Emergency Department Alternatives to Opioids – July 27 SAMHSA First Responders – Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act Grants – July 27 SAMHSA Garrett Lee Smith (GLS) Campus Suicide Prevention Grant Program – July 27 SAMHSA Mental Health Awareness Training Grants – July 27 SAMHSA Promoting the Integration of Primary and Behavioral Health Care: States – July 27 HRSA Scholarships for Disadvantage Students – July 28 ARC Appalachia READY Local Governments Training – July 31 NIH Native Collective Research Effort to Enhance Wellness (N CREW) Phase II – July 31 ACL Alzheimer's Disease Programs Initiative (ADPI) - State Programs for Dementia Specific Respite – August 3 ACL Dementia Capable Community Health Worker Programs – August 3 HUD Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing – August 3 DOJ Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act Program – August 5 Department of Education Promise Neighborhoods Program – August 6 HRSA Small Health Care Provider Quality Improvement Program – August 6 ACF Child Abuse Prevention in Migrant and Tribal Communities – August 7 ACF Regional Partnership Grants – August 7 HUD Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program Community Selection – August 10 SAMHSA Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction Grant Program – August 11 HRSA Delta States Rural Development Network Program – August 12 Rural Healthcare Provider Transition Project – August 14 USDA Native Community Development Financial Institution Relending Demonstration Program – August 14 Final Rule: Criteria for Determining Maternity Care Health Professional Target Areas. – Effective August 15 CMS Issues Final Rule to Strengthen Oversight of Health Care Accrediting Organizations – Comment by August 17 CMS Proposes to Codify Policies under the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program – Comment by August 17 CMS Releases 2027 End-Stage Renal Disease Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule – Comment by August 24 DOT Tribal Transit Competitive Program – August 25 CMS Seeks Input on the CY 2027 Medicare Hospital Outpatient Payment System Proposed Rule – Comment by August 31 Medicare Proposes Changes to Medicare Home Health Program – Comment by August 31 DOJ Office of Violence Against Women Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program – September 1 DOJ Tribal Sexual Assault Services Program – September 1 NTIA Native Entities Grant Program – September 17 NTIA Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program – September 17 Targeted Technical Assistance for Rural Hospitals Program – Deadline for Next Cohort September 30 USDA America’s Healthy Food Financing Initiative – September 30 USDA Rural Development: Intermediary Relending Program – September 30 USDA Rural Development: SEARCH – Special Evaluation Assistance for Rural Communities and Households (for Water/Waste Projects) – September 30 USDA Telecommunications Infrastrastructure Loans & Guarantees – September 30 USDA Tribal Colleges Research Grants Program – December 31
Forecasted OpportunitiesCMS Student Loan Repayment for Nursing Home Staff – Coming Soon
Ongoing Opportunities - Updated July 2026Bold indicates HRSA- and/or FORHP-funded opportunities. Administration for Children & Families: Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency – Rural Emergency Medical Communications Demonstration Project Delta Region Community Health Systems Development Program General Services Administration: Federal Surplus Property Available for Public Use HRSA Needs Rural Reviewers for Grant Applications HRSA National Health Service Corps Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Training HRSA Look-Alike Initial Designation for the Health Center Program Indian Health Service/Department of Defense: Medical Supplies and Equipment for Tribes (Project TRANSAM) Licensure Portability: The Multi-Discipline Licensure Resource Project National Rural Health Resource Center: Rural Hospital Stabilization Program NIH Intervention Research to Improve Native American Health (R01 and R34 Clinical Trials Optional) – October 21, 2026 ProviderBridge: Mobilizing Health Care Workforce via Telehealth Rural Graduate Medical Education Planning and Development Small Business Administration Rural Businesses Small Business Administration Guaranteed Loans for Small Business Targeted Technical Assistance for Rural Hospitals Program USDA: National School Lunch Afterschool Snack Program USDA: Summer Food Service Program USDA/National Rural Health Association: Rural Hospital Technical Assistance USDA Rural Development: America’s Healthy Food Financing Initiative USDA Rural Development: Circuit Rider Program – Technical Assistance for Rural Water Systems USDA Rural Development: Community Facilities Programs USDA Rural Development: Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants USDA Rural Development: Grants for Rural and Native Alaskan Villages USDA Rural Development: Intermediary Relending Program – Ongoing with deadlines every quarter USDA Rural Development: Multifamily Housing Loan Guarantees USDA Rural Development: Rural Business Investment Program USDA Rural Development: Rural Energy Savings Program USDA Rural Development: SEARCH – Special Evaluation Assistance for Rural Communities and Households (for Water/Waste Projects) USDA Rural Development: Telecommunications Infrastructure Loans and Loan Guarantees U.S. Department of Transportation: Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success (R.O.U.T.E.S) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Drinking Water State Revolving Fund U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Real Water Technical Assistance (RealWaterTA) U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Physical Therapy Telehealth Research Study for Older Veterans – Ongoing until October 2026 UVM Center on Rural Addiction Contingency Management Certificate Course |
