| Read this in your browser December 18, 2025 What's New New Funding Forecasted for 2026: three upcoming rural health funding opportunities were posted on Grants.gov this week. Additional details will be shared once the official Notice of Funding Opportunity is released for each. Prospective applicants may click the Subscribe button on each listing to get real-time updates. Stay tuned! HRSA Rural Residency Planning and Development (RRPD) Program – Estimated Post Date February 2026. The RRPD Program supports planning and development of new residency programs to strengthen the physician workforce in rural communities. For more information about program expectations and past application requirements, refer to the last year's Notice of Funding Opportunity (HRSA-25-007). Training physicians in rural residency programs not only improves access to care in rural areas, but also increases the likelihood of graduates practicing in a rural community. HRSA Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) - Planning – Estimated Post Date February 2026. RCORP-Planning helps organizations conduct needs assessments, create partnerships, and develop plans for sustainable prevention, treatment, and recovery services at the local level. HRSA Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP)-Impact – Estimated Post Date February 2026. RCORP-Impact funds community-level organizations providing services for prevention, treatment, and recovery of substance use disorder (SUD) in rural areas. The program supports coordination across health and supportive social services; a larger, more responsive workforce to address SUD-related needs; and multi-sector community networks to strengthen and sustain local service delivery. Funding and Opportunities National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Grants for Arts Projects – February 12. The NEA welcomes applications from first-time and returning applicants; from organizations serving rural, urban, and tribal communities of all sizes; and from organizations with small, medium, or large operating budgets. Applicant organizations must have completed at least five years of arts planning and must have had an operating budget of at least $20,000. The NEA has produced several reports on the arts' benefits for health and wellbeing, including strategies for addressing the opioid crisis, engaging older adults, and social-emotional development in early childhood. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Supportive Services for Veteran Families – February 19. With total funding of $855 million, the VA will award an estimated 200 grants to private and nonprofit organizations that provide supportive services for very low-income veterans residing in or transitioning to permanent housing. The VA considers applications from rural and tribal communities, as well as U.S. territories, a priority for grant distribution. Rural Health Research Research in this section is provided by the HRSA/FORHP-supported Rural Health Research Gateway. Sign up to receive alerts when new publications become available. Changes in Bed-Based Measures of Surge Capacity from 2018 to 2022 Among Rural and Urban Hospitals. Hospital surge capacity refers to the ability to handle sudden and possibly dramatic increases in health care demand, such as the increase in demand experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, a natural disaster, or a mass casualty event. One method of assessing surge capacity is to examine a hospital's typical number of unoccupied beds. On an average day in 2022, the average rural hospital had 24 unoccupied acute care beds, accounting for approximately 66% of the hospital's total acute care beds. Although these numbers have decreased slightly from 2018 (26 unoccupied beds accounting for approximately 67% of total beds), the findings suggest that surge capacity, as measured by unoccupied beds, has not dramatically changed in recent years. This research examines how rural inpatient capacity has changed over time. Community Healers: How Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority Leads in Health and Wellness. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to describe how the Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority (CIHA) is addressing the health needs of its community, with an emphasis on integrating Cherokee culture and Western medical care as a method to improve community health. The CIHA is a tribally owned and operated health care system in the rural southeastern United States that has implemented community- and culturally centered initiatives to best serve their patient population. Researchers documented CIHA's work in the context of government-to-government relationships between federal and state entities and Native Nations. Policy Updates Visit the FORHP Policy page to see all recent updates and send questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov. Send questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov. CMS Announces Advancing Chronic Care with Effective Scalable Solutions (ACCESS) Model. This week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation introduced a new alternative payment model that aims to improve patient access to technology-supported care options. The voluntary model will run for 10 years beginning July 1, 2026 and test a new payment option that allows clinicians to offer digital technologies – i.e., telehealth software, wearable devices, and apps – that help manage chronic conditions for people with Original Medicare. CMS has not yet released an application but asks those with an interest to complete the ACCESS Model Interest Form to receive updates. New CMS Model: MAHA ELEVATE – Coming Early 2026. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) announced a new payment model titled Make America Healthy Again: Enhancing Lifestyle and Evaluating Value-based Approaches Through Evidence (MAHA ELEVATE). The model aims to supports chronic disease initiatives for fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries. A total of $100 million dollars will fund up to 30 proposals for three years. The proposals will include evidence-based whole-person care approaches currently not covered by original Medicare. CMMI will release a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) in early 2026 for the first cohort, and the voluntary model will launch on September 1, 2026. Forecasted Opportunities HRSA Rural Residency Planning and Development (RRPD) Program – Estimated Post Date February 2026 HRSA Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) - Planning – Estimated Post Date February 2026 HRSA Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP)-Impact – Estimated Post Date February 2026 Approaching Deadlines USDA Rural Development: Intermediary Relending Program – December 30 HRSA State Loan Repayment Program – January 12, 2026 National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Grants for Arts Projects – February 12 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Supportive Services for Veteran Families – February 19 Ongoing Opportunities Bold 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 Regional Authority: Community Infrastructure Fund 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 ProviderBridge: Mobilizing Health Care Workforce via Telehealth Rural Graduate Medical Education Planning and Development Small Business Administration Guaranteed Loans for Small Business Small Business Administration Rural Initiative Pilot Program 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 | 
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