Read this in your browser. Septmber 4, 2026What's NewHRSA Awards Over $11 Million to Develop New Rural Residency Programs. Today, HRSA and the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy awarded Rural Residency Planning and Development grants to 15 organizations across 14 states. Funding will help rural communities address physician workforce shortages. Awards provide three years of funding to develop new accredited rural physician residency programs, including rural track programs, which combine urban and rural training, with more than half of residents’ training taking place in rural areas. This year’s awards support residency programs in family medicine, internal medicine, preventive medicine, psychiatry, and general surgery. Annual Overview of Hospital-Level Changes in Obstetric Services Availability. This report provides national and state-level information on obstetric care, showing that availability of hospital-based obstetric services has continued to decline across the United States. Between 2010 and 2024, 718 hospitals lost obstetric services due to obstetric unit and/or hospital closure. This FORHP-funded report was developed by the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center. Find more resources on the Rural Health Research Gateway. The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline Is Here for Families. The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262) offers free, confidential support 24/7 by call, text, and chat. Trained counselors provide emotional support, information, and referrals to local resources for pregnant and postpartum women and their loved ones. We encourage you to share this resource with your communities. Now is a great time to print and/or order free promotional materials—including posters, magnets, and wallet cards—to display and distribute in your settings. Practical Approaches to Rural Public Health Policy. With federal funding support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the NORC Walsh Center for Rural Analysis created this training module to equip rural stakeholders with actionable steps for developing, implementing, and evaluating local public health policies. Primary audiences for the training are rural public health staff or other rural practitioners; secondary audiences are state or regional public health staff, public health practitioners outside of rural settings, and students or early career professionals interested in rural public health. The link above goes directly into the training; click the three horizontal lines in the upper left corner for menu navigation. A second module in the series, Practical Data Skills for Rural Public Health, provides core knowledge on data assessment, building practical skills to collect, organize, analyze, interpret, and communicate data. Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program AIDS Education and Training Center (AETC) Program: Annual Data Report, 2024. The objective of HRSA’s AIDS Education and Training Center is to strengthen the HIV workforce by providing tailored education, clinical consultation, and technical assistance to health care providers. This report gives data on more than 10,000 training events, including those focused on rural populations, from 2019 to 2024.
Funding and OpportunitiesNIH Connecting the Community for Maternal Health Challenge: Research Capacity Building in Maternity Care Deserts – first phase open until September 23. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will award more than $3 million in total cash prizes to encourage and reward biomedical research in maternal health, with emphasis on maternal morbidity and mortality and maternal health deserts. The Challenge will have four phases starting with recruitment of all eligible organizations with 50 selected participants. The next three phases – Training, Proposal, and Research – will award cash prizes to organizations selected. Each of the 10 finalists will receive a cash prize ranging from $100,000 to $300,000.
Policy UpdatesSend questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov. FCC: Promoting Telehealth in Rural America – Comment by September 30. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) seeks comments from the public on possible improvements to the Rural Health Care Program, the federal government’s effort to reduce the cost of telecommunications and broadband for health care providers. The FCC is considering improvements to their methods for determining rates, possible methods of promoting lower-cost technologies for back-up service, and methods to expedite the processing of funding requests among other proposed changes to the program.
Learning Events and Technical AssistanceThe Security Risk Assessment Tool from ONC and OCR: An Overview for Small and Medium Practices Webinar #1 – Tuesday, September 15 at 12:00 pm Eastern. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) at U.S. Department of HHS will hold an introductory webinar on the free, downloadable Security Risk Assessment (SRA) Tool to help small and medium-sized provider assess cybersecurity risks. This the first of two opportunities to attend this webinar live; the second webinar will be on Wednesday, September 15 at 3:00 pm Eastern. Webinar: Rural Public Health Success Stories from the Field: Utah. Join the Office of Rural Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday, September 15, at 1:00 pm Eastern for the launch of Rural Public Health Success Stories from the Field. This webinar series will feature stories from state, local, and tribal partners who have implemented impactful initiatives aimed at improving health in rural communities. The first event in the series will showcase real-world successes and effective strategies happening in Utah. Save the Date: What is Rural Emergency Hospital Conversion Like? – Thursday, September 24 at 2:00 pm Eastern. The FORHP-supported Rural Health Redesign Center hosts an hour-long session with hospital CEOs who have led their organizations through this transformational journey.
Resources of the WeekThe National Telehealth Policy Resource Center State RHTP and Telehealth Database. The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center – also known as the Center for Connected Health Policy (CCHP) – just launched its resource itemizing telehealth elements included within each state’s plan for the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP). Note: This spreadsheet is a download and will not open automatically in a new window. The CCHP is funded by HRSA’s Office for the Advancement of Telehealth and is part of a broader network of regional telehealth resource centers providing no-cost expertise in telehealth education and implementation. RHIhub Topic Guide: Scholarships, Loans, and Loan Repayment for Rural Health Professions. The Rural Health Information Hub (RHIhub) recently added a new tool to its guide to Federal and State-level incentive programs for health care professionals. The new Search for Scholarships and Loan Repayment Programs lets you narrow opportunities by type, profession, or geography.
Approaching DeadlinesACF Community Economic Development Projects – September 8 USDA Rural Development: Rural Housing Preservation Grants – September 8 CMS Proposes Updates to Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Payments for Calendar Year 2027 – Comment by September 14 CMS Proposes Updates to Medicare Shared Savings Program for Calendar Year 2027 – Comment by September 14 DOJ Training and Services to End Abuse in Later Life – September 14 NTIA Native Entities Grant Program – September 17 NTIA Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program – September 17 CMS Issues Draft Guidance for 2028 Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program Effectuation – Comment by September 18 National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Seeks Input on Strategic Plan – Comment by September 21 USDA Rural Decentralized Water System Grant Program – September 30 CMS Proposes to Amend Medicaid Provider Tax Standards – Comment by September 21 DOT Bus and Bus Facilities Infrastructure Program – September 21 NIH Connecting the Community for Maternal Health Challenge: Research Capacity Building in Maternity Care Deserts – recruitment phase open until September 23 DHS Proposes New Fee for H-1B Cap-Subject Petitions – Comment by September 24 CDC Rural Health Evaluation and Capacity Building Fellowship – September 25 FCC: Promoting Telehealth in Rural America – Comment by September 30 HRSA Seeking Nominations for the Tribal Advisory Council – September 30 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 Rural Development: Telecommunications Infrastructure Loans & Guarantees – September 30 USDA Rural Utilities Service: Rural Decentralized Water System Grant Program – September 30 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Physical Therapy Telehealth Research Study for Older Veterans – Project Ending in October NHTSA Request for Information: National Emergency Services Information System (NEMSIS) – Comment by October 6 CMS Requests Billing Information for Unpaid 2026 APM Incentive Payments – update by October 13 AmeriCorps Seniors Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) – October 20 NIH Intervention Research to Improve Native American Health (R01 and R34 Clinical Trials Optional) – October 21 USDA Tribal Colleges Research Grants Program – December 31
Forecasted OpportunitiesCMS Student Loan Repayment for Nursing Home Staff – Coming Soon
Ongoing Opportunities - Updated September 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 Association: USDA Rural Hospital Technical Assistance National Rural Health Resource Center: Rural Hospital Stabilization Program 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 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 (ROUTES) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Drinking Water State Revolving Fund U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Real Water Technical Assistance (RealWaterTA) University of Vermont Center on Rural Addiction Contingency Management Certificate Course |
