September 10, 2026Read this in your browser What's NewHHS Awards Nearly $25 Million to Strengthen Small Rural Hospitals and Preserve Access to Care. This week, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), announced nearly $25 million in awards to 132 hospitals across 13 states through the new Rural Hospital Provider Assistance Program. The funding provides direct financial assistance to eligible small rural hospitals to help retain healthcare providers, preserve essential services, and maintain access to care in rural communities. Unmasking the Rural Substance Use Burden: The Need to Move Beyond Macro-Level Data in Substance Use Policy and Planning. Researchers analyzed the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health and found that estimates for prevalence of rural substance use were frequently higher than national and non-rural averages. This brief seeks to inform policies, strategies, and interventions that are tailored to rural communities, taking health-related differences and service gaps into account. These findings underscore the importance of rural–urban data analysis and adequate rural representation in public health surveillance to better identify geographic variation, inform targeted policy and programmatic responses, and maximize community and population health. The findings come from JBS International, Inc., the technical assistance provider to grantees of FORHP’s Rural Communities Opioid Response Program. HHS Awards More Than $380 Million to Strengthen America's Behavioral Health System on 988 Day. This week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced new awards for a variety of programs administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. These include capacity building for 988 suicide crisis services, rural emergency medical services training, rural opioid technical assistance centers, Tribal opioid response, and residential treatment for pregnant and postpartum women. Appalachian Regional Commission: A Data Overview from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey. The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is a federal-state partnership with a mission to strengthen the economies of 423 counties across 13 states: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. ARC’s annual Chartbook provides data snapshots of the region’s population, education, employment, income and poverty, and broadband accessibility. County-Level Data Repository for Rural Maternal Health. The FORHP-funded Rural Maternal Health Data Support program launched a new tool that allows users to build customized maternal health profiles for any selection of U.S. counties. The repository includes indicators on population demographics, health care provider capacity, and maternal health outcomes, as well as state maps showing county-level availability of hospital obstetric services. Two new reports from the USDA’s Economic Research Service. The primary purpose of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s research arm is to anticipate trends and emerging issues across four core areas under USDA’s purview: agriculture, food, the environment, and rural America. The ERS provides data and analysis to policymakers, evaluates Federal food and nutrition programs, and monitors factors that impact rural life and development. Recent reports include:
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – this report provides a brief background on the nation’s largest nutrition assistance program, explaining the Federal-State relationship for distributing benefits and recent changes brought by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act enacted last year.
- Migration and Aging Across the Rural-Urban Continuum – this report finds that population aging from 2010 to 2020 was driven almost entirely by aging in place, rather than migration, as in previous decades. Counties to which older people moved tended to have better economic and health indicators than counties where younger people migrated away.
Upcoming Webinar - Rural Measles Response: Lessons Learned from the Field – Thursday, September 17 at 1:00 pm Eastern. This hour-long webinar brings together clinicians and public health experts who will share their real-world experiences and discuss practical, on-the-ground strategies for exposure response, rapid clinic operations, and community engagement that rural jurisdictions can adapt to their own settings.
Funding and OpportunitiesAmeriCorps State and National Grants – January 13, 2027. The Federal agency that fosters civic engagement through volunteering will prioritize organizations serving communities with concentrated poverty and specifies rural and tribal communities. Funding priorities for 2027 include improving quality of life for veterans, active-duty members of the Armed Forces, and their families; a focus on safety and crime prevention; expanding outdoor recreation; and creating workforce pathways for AmeriCorps Volunteers. Eligible applicants are nonprofit organizations, higher education institutions, State and local government entities, and federally recognized Tribal organizations.
Policy UpdatesSend questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov. CMS to Open Medicare Part D 340B Claims Data Repository for Voluntary Submissions October 1. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will open the Medicare Part D Claims Data 340B Repository on October 1, 2026, allowing covered entities in the 340B Drug Pricing Program, or their third-party administrators or other contracted partners, to voluntarily submit data from 2026 Medicare Part D 340B claims. CMS established the repository as part of the Medicare Part D Inflation Rebate Program to test whether submitted claims data could eventually be used to identify 340B units that must be excluded from Part D inflation rebate calculations; data submitted during the testing period will not be used for rebate calculations or other program purposes. Covered entities choosing to participate are requested to submit data quarterly, with claims from January 1 through September 30, 2026, due December 31, 2026. The fact sheet also notes that CMS has proposed, in the CY 2027 Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule, to require Medicare providers and suppliers that are 340B covered entities to submit repository data for claims with dates of service on or after January 1, 2027.
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 16 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 WeekRHIhub Models and Innovations: WARM Center Street Outreach Program. A new entry to the library of Models and Innovations at the Rural Health Information Hub (RHIhub) describes a program that sends trained outreach workers to meet with people experiencing homelessness in southern Rhode Island, connecting them to services, distributing food and clothing, and providing case management. So You Want to Become a Health Center. The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) provides guidance for organizations interested in HRSA’s Health Center Program, offering comprehensive primary and preventive health services to underserved populations, regardless of their ability to pay. According to the NACHC, health centers are currently serving up to 1 in 3 rural residents in the U.S. and in U.S. territories.
Approaching DeadlinesCMS 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 AmeriCorps State and National Grants – January 13, 2027
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 |
