April 30, 2026What's NewTwo New Rural Community Opioid Response Program Funding Opportunities – Apply by May 29.The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is pleased to announce the release of two new funding opportunities that will fund $64 Million to help rural communities address the overdose crisis – a key priority of this Administration. While national overdose death rates have declined, rural rates remain higher than pre-2020 levels and are decreasing more slowly than in urban areas, reflecting ongoing challenges with access to prevention, treatment, and coordinated transportation to care. The Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) is the only federal program dedicated exclusively to addressing opioid and substance use disorders in rural communities. RCORP supports the development of coordinated behavioral health systems in rural areas across the prevention, treatment, and recovery spectrum, with the aim of reducing the risks associated with substance misuse and substance use disorder. All services must be provided in HRSA-designated rural areas. More information on the two funding opportunities: RCORP-Planning helps rural communities build the capacity to develop and sustain substance use disorder (SUD) services by lowering barriers to federal funding and preparing funded organizations to create larger, more complex networks. HRSA has $4 million for up to 40 awards and recipients can receive up to $100,000 per year over a two-year project period. Applications are due May 29th at 11:59 PM EST in Grants.gov. A technical assistance webinar will be recorded. We recommend you subscribe to the NOFO on Grants.gov to receive updates when we post documents. RCORP-Impact helps rural communities by expanding access to evidence-based prevention, treatment, and recovery services through the building of a larger, more responsive workforce to meet behavioral health needs. An integrated and coordinated partnership approach across health and social services is required, leading to sustained long-term recovery and reduction in morbidity and mortality. HRSA has $60 million for up to 80 awards and recipients can receive up to $750,000 per year over a four-year project period. Applications are due May 29 at 11:59 PM EST in Grants.gov. A technical assistance webinar will be recorded. We recommend you subscribe to the NOFO on Grants.gov to receive updates when we post documents. Send any questions to ruralopioidresponse@hrsa.gov. HRSA Preview of Nursing Workforce Funding Opportunities – Thursday, May 6 at 1:00 pm Eastern. Register ahead of time for this webinar held by HRSA’s Bureau of Health Workforce. Rural Health Value Brief: Value-Based Payment Strategies Used by Medicaid Managed Care Organizations. This brief presents findings from a review of state Medicaid program websites that include descriptions of value-based payment (VBP) strategies set up by Managed Care Organizations (MCO) and the implications for rural health care organizations. A related Appendix provides an overview of how individual states are incorporating VBP in their Medicaid MCO arrangements. This brief was developed by Rural Health Value, funded by a cooperative agreement with the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. The Rural Monitor: Collaborating for Transportation Access in Rural Communities. In this feature article from the online magazine at the FORHP-supported RHIhub, learn how Waupaca County, Wisconsin used grants from the state and a private nonprofit to improve transportation for rural residents. The article also describes how a grantee of FORHP’s Rural Communities Opioid Response Program partnered with a local transportation nonprofit to deliver medications to patients who couldn’t come into the facility during the pandemic. Forecasted Funding: CMS Student Loan Repayment for Nursing Home Staff. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will soon provide student loan repayment of up to $40,000 and incentive stipends for living expenses in exchange for a three-year commitment at qualifying nursing homes. Eligible applicants will be Registered Nurses (RNs), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), and Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs) who are recently graduated or are currently employed. Sign up to get updates on the program launch, eligibility details, and how to apply. AHRQ: 2024 Trends in the Quality of U.S. Healthcare Services. This annual report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is mandated by Congress to give an overview of the quality of healthcare received by the general population and disparities in care experienced by different racial and socioeconomic groups. Webinar: Sustaining Rural Labor & Delivery Programs – Monday, May 4 at 3:00 pm Eastern. Rural hospitals face ongoing financial and operational pressures that have contributed to the closure of many Labor & Delivery programs nationwide. This webinar, hosted by researchers at the Flex Monitoring Team (FMT) for rural Medicare hospitals and presented by Stroudwater, will highlight practical strategies to help rural hospitals assess and strengthen the financial sustainability of these services. The Federal Office of Rural Health Policy funded the development of the Sustaining Rural Labor & Delivery Programs brief; this webinar will highlight key insights from the brief and cover approaches to improving how costs are tracked and reported, understanding the financial performance of Labor & Delivery services, and identifying opportunities to improve efficiency and partnerships. Attendees will gain actionable insights to support informed decision-making and help maintain access to essential maternity care in rural communities. Working with Challenging Behaviors: Turning Behavioral Incidents into Transformational Experiences – Thursday, May 7 at 2:00 pm Eastern. The Fletcher Group is one of three Centers of Excellence for the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP). The Centers support RCORP grantees with their work and make resources for substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery available to all. Antibiotic Stewardship for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) – Wednesday, May 13 at 2:00 pm Eastern. This 60-minute virtual session will provide technical updates from the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN), a surveillance system for tracking healthcare-associated infections across the United States. The NHSN is maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, whose experts designed this webinar specifically for CAHs. The webinar is hosted by the Rural Quality Improvement Technical Assistance (RQITA) Resource Center, funded by HRSA to support FORHP’s Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project.
Funding and OpportunitiesVeterans Affairs Specialty Education Loan Repayment Program – May 31. Recipients of the VA’s loan repayment assistance receive a loan repayment of $40,000 per year with a maximum of $160,000 in exchange for serving in a clinical practice at a VA facility for each year of loan repayment. The program is for recent graduates of an accredited medical or osteopathic school who are currently enrolled or matched to a residency specialty identified as a shortage by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Preferences will be given to Veterans and individuals who participate in residencies in health facilities supporting rural communities; operated by Indian tribes, tribal organizations, or the Indian Health Service; or affiliated with underserved VA health care facilities. USDA Farmers Market Promotion Program – June 5. The Agricultural Marketing Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides grants to support the development, coordination, and expansion of direct producer-to-consumer markets to increase access to and availability of locally and regionally produced agriculture products. Applications for USDA’s Regional Food System Partnerships are also due on June 5.
Rural Health ResearchResearch in this section is located on the HRSA/FORHP-supported Rural Health Research Gateway. Sign up to receive alerts when new publications become available. The Distribution of the Youth Behavioral Health Workforce in Rural and Urban America in 2025. Children and youth living in rural areas face unique barriers to accessing mental health care, including shortages of child and youth behavioral health specialists and variable access to broadband for telehealth. The objective of this project was to examine the distribution of the child and youth behavioral health workforce across rural and urban areas of the U.S. Average Salary Expense in Rural and Urban Hospitals in 2022 Compared With 2018, by Hospital Characteristics. This study compares labor costs at rural and urban hospitals before COVID and examines whether pay grew differently across hospitals. It identifies hospital characteristics linked to staffing costs and what they reveal about financial resilience during unexpected disruption.
Policy Updates for Rural HealthSend questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov. Make Hospital Food Healthier Pledge. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced last week a voluntary “Make Hospital Food Healthier” pledge to improve nutrition in hospital settings. The pledge includes a commitment that hospitals align patient meals with the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and update menus to support healing, recovery, and long-term health. CMS encourages hospitals and health systems that provide inpatient care to sign the pledge and evaluate their food offerings to limit ultra-processed foods and emphasize nutritious options such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. CMS Seeks Input on the 2028 Medicaid HCBS Quality Measure Set – Comment by May 28. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeks public comments on the proposed 2028 Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Quality Measure Set. The HCBS Quality Measure Set, which includes nationally standardized quality measures for Medicaid-funded HCBS, is intended to promote consistent adoption across programs and states, while driving improvements in quality of care and outcomes for people receiving HCBS. CMS requests comment on proposed mandatory and voluntary measures for 2028; how States collect, calculate, and report the data; proposed measures for which States are required to report stratified data, including rural/urban status; the populations for which States are proposed to report the measures; and the proposed reporting schedule. CMS-Driven Partnership for Quality Measurement Seeks Rural Experts – Nominate by June 1. The Partnership for Quality Measurement (PQM) seeks expertise for the Pre-Rulemaking Measure Review committee to provide recommendations to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on the selection of quality measures being considered for use in CMS programs. Members of the PQM can be patients, patient advocates, clinicians, quality measure experts, or any other interested party providing feedback on quality measures. The nomination form asks parties to select if they have: "Lived experience with or experience in health care in rural settings." Learn more about responsibilities and time commitments, and nominate yourself or someone else by June 1. CMS Proposes Expansion of Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) Model – Comment by June 9. As part of the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) Proposed Rule, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed a nationwide expansion of the existing Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) Model. The expanded model, called CJR-X, proposes a mandatory model starting October 1, 2027, for hospitals paid under the IPPS that perform lower extremity joint replacement procedures. Comments are due in the Federal Register by June 9, as corrected in the latest FY 2027 Inpatient Prospective Payment System proposed rule correction notice. CMS Seeks Input on Proposed Changes to Medicare Hospital Payments – Comment by June 9. In this correction notice, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) clarifies that comments on the proposed rule for the Medicare Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals (IPPS) and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System for Fiscal Year 2027 are due on June 9, not April 10 as originally published. Proposals in this rule would revise Medicare payments for inpatient services at acute care hospitals; make changes relating to Medicare graduate medical education (GME) for teaching hospitals; update and make changes to requirements for certain quality programs; and make other policy-related changes. Listening Session on New Medicaid HCBS Option – Tuesday, May 19 at 1:30 pm Eastern. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is hosting a national virtual listening session on May 19 at 1:30 p.m. to discuss Section 71121 of Public Law 119-21, which gives states a new option starting in July 2028 to provide home and community-based services (HCBS) through Medicaid. CMS seeks input from states, providers, health plans, participants and family members, self-advocates, direct service professionals, advocacy and disability organizations, Tribal and rural partners, and all other interested stakeholders on opportunities to expand access, improve cost efficiency, and address potential implementation challenges. CMS will attend in listen only and will not respond to comments or take part in discussion. Stakeholders can also submit written comments to CMS at MedicaidReforms@cms.hhs.gov and indicate “Comments on 1915(c)(11) Waiver Option” in the subject line.
Resources of the WeekSAMHSA Peer Recovery Supports for Behavioral Health in Rural Communities. This resource from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) discusses innovative and promising practices for overcoming behavioral health barriers – such as addressing stigma, social isolation, and scarcity of services – through community and peer supports. Community-Initiated Care in Behavioral Health: Exploring Funding Mechanisms for SUD. The Center for Financing Reform & Innovation at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration offers several resources for financing substance use disorders (SUD) prevention and treatment. This report explores funding options community-initiated care (CIC) programs including their prevalence in rural communities.
Forecasted OpportunitiesCMS Student Loan Repayment for Nursing Home Staff – Coming soon HRSA Delta Rural Integrated Health Network Program – Coming soon HRSA Rural Residency Planning and Development (RRPD) Program – Estimated Post Date May 5
Approaching DeadlinesCDC Million Hearts Hypertension Control Challenge – April 30 VA Highly Rural Transportation Grants Program – May 4 ARC Investments Supporting Partnerships in Recovery Ecosystems Initiative (INSPIRE) – Letters of Intent May 12 CMS Now Accepting Applications for the LEAD Model for ACOs – May 17 Become a New Site for the National Health Service Corps – May 19 DOL Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Indian and Native American Program - Employment and Training Grants – May 22 DOT’s Safe Streets for All Grant Program – May 26 DOJ Rural Law Enforcement Violent Crime Reduction Initiative – initiate in Grants.gov by May 27 CMS Seeks Input on the 2028 Medicaid HCBS Quality Measure Set – Comment by May 28 Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) – Impact – May 29 Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) – Planning – May 29 Indian Health Service Capital Infrastructure Program – May 30 Veterans Affairs Specialty Education Loan Repayment Program – May 31 CMS-Driven Partnership for Quality Measurement Seeks Rural Experts – Nominate by June 1 CMS Proposes Updates for the FY 2027 Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System – Comment by June 1 Proposed 2027 Hospice Rule: Higher Payments Paired with New Oversight Tools – Comment by June 1 CMS Proposes Updates for the FY 2027 Inpatient Rehabilitation Prospective Payment System Facilities – Comment by June 1 CMS Releases 2027 Medicare Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule - Comment by June 1 USDA Delta Health Care Services Grant Program – June 1 USDA Farmers Market Promotion Program – June 5 USDA Regional Food System Partnerships – June 5 CMS Proposed Collection in Self-Attestation for Recertification of CORFs, OPT/SLP, RHCs Providers and PXR Suppliers – Comment by June 9 CMS Proposes Expansion of Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) Model – Comment by June 9 CMS Seeks Input on Proposed Changes to Medicare Hospital Payments – Comment by June 9 VA Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grants – June 12 CMS Proposes New Interoperability Standards and Prior Authorization for Drugs – Comment by June 15 FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Grants – July 23 NIH Native Collective Research Effort to Enhance Wellness (N CREW) Phase II – July 31
Ongoing Opportunities - Updated March 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 EPA Real Water Technical Assistance (RealWaterTA) 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 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 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration/Federal Emergency Management Agency/: Post-Disaster Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program 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. 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 |
