Rural Health Network Development Program | HRSA 20 025

Opportunity Information: Apply for HRSA 20 025

The Rural Health Network Development (RHND) Program is a federal grant opportunity run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). It is designed to strengthen health care in rural communities by funding integrated rural health care networks that are already working together in a coordinated way. The program specifically targets networks that have moved beyond loose collaboration and have meaningfully combined functions across participating organizations, supported by capable staff and a well-functioning network board. The central idea is that rural communities can improve services and outcomes when multiple partners operate as a true system rather than as separate entities.

At its core, the program expects funded networks to pursue three legislative aims: first, to achieve efficiencies in how rural health care is delivered and managed; second, to expand access to essential services while also improving coordination and quality; and third, to strengthen the rural health care system overall so it can better withstand workforce, financial, and policy pressures. RHND places a strong emphasis on solutions that are driven by local needs identified by the community itself, rather than one-size-fits-all models. It also encourages rural networks to prepare for ongoing changes in health care delivery and financing, including shifts that may require new partnerships, new workflows, and more robust data and quality improvement capabilities.

A major theme of this opportunity is helping rural networks position themselves for value-based care and population health management. In practice, that means building the ability to manage health outcomes for groups of patients, measure performance, coordinate care across settings, and improve quality in ways that align with emerging reimbursement models. The program also highlights alignment with key HHS priorities, particularly mental health and substance use disorder, recognizing that these needs are often acute in rural areas and frequently require coordinated clinical and community-based responses. Applicants are expected to think about how their network model can support integrated approaches to behavioral health and other essential services while improving overall community impact.

The RHND Program outlines several overarching goals that funded projects should advance. These include improving access and quality of care in rural areas through sustainable programs created by network collaboration, preparing networks for the transition to value-based payment and population health approaches, demonstrating improved health outcomes and measurable community impact, promoting long-term network sustainability through the creation of diverse products and services, and using or adapting evidence-based or promising practice models in delivering care. The emphasis on evidence-based or promising practices signals that projects should not be purely experimental; they should be grounded in approaches with some track record or credible rationale, with adaptation as needed for rural contexts.

Another key expectation is broad and diverse network membership. HRSA signals that strong rural networks should include both traditional and non-traditional partners, since many drivers of population health sit outside the walls of a clinic or hospital. Examples of potential network participants include behavioral health organizations, critical access hospitals, rural health clinics, community health centers, community and social service organizations, and tribal organizations. The notice also stresses that collaborative experience among network partners matters, because future delivery system reforms and reimbursement changes will likely require cross-sector participation and shared accountability for quality improvement. In other words, the program is not just funding isolated service expansions; it is encouraging rural communities to build durable systems capable of coordinated performance under evolving payment and care models.

From an administrative standpoint, this opportunity is a discretionary grant (Funding Opportunity Number HRSA 20-025) under the health funding category and CFDA 93.912. The posting date was August 14, 2019, with an original closing date of November 25, 2019. The award ceiling listed is $300,000, and HRSA anticipated making about 46 awards. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others" with additional clarification expected in the full eligibility section of the official notice, which typically means applicants must carefully confirm that their network structure and lead applicant organization meet HRSA requirements.

Overall, the RHND Program funds rural health care networks that can show they are prepared to function as integrated systems, not just collections of partners. It aims to help these networks deliver more coordinated and higher-quality care, expand access to essential services, address urgent priorities like mental health and substance use, and build the organizational and operational foundation needed for value-based payment and long-term sustainability in rural health care.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Rural Health Network Development Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.912.
• This funding opportunity was created on Aug 14, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 25, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $300,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 46 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for HRSA 20 025

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