• Conducting a community health and/or provider needs assessments at the regional and/or local level. This needs assessment could be any of the following:

• Identify the most critical need of network participants to ensure their viability.
• Identify additional collaborating network participants in the community/region.
• Identify and develop a plan to address workforce issues.Identify financial resources or gaps available to support services.
• Identifying a plan for developing regional systems of care to better meet rural patient concerns.Identifying opportunities for the network to better address regional and/or local health population needs.

#2: Expand access to, coordinate, and improve the quality of basic health care services and associated health outcomes.  Planning activities may include, but are not limited to,

• Developing a network business and/or operations plan to address a local health care challenge, which may include the following:

• A formal memorandum of agreement or understanding (MOA/MOU).
• A shared mission statement.
• A network/governance board or decision-making structure.
• A set of network bylaws.
• The roles and responsibilities of the network participants or a business model.

• Identifying the appropriate governance structure for participants to use in creating a network.
• Identifying strategies to communicate with the community about changes in the health care landscape and how to develop a plan to maintain access to viable health care services.
• Integrating health and human services, including a plan to integrate and maintain access to specific health and human services, such as planning for mobile cancer screening programs, chronic disease management programs, oral health care and mental/behavioral health care services, among others.
• Developing a plan to expand the role of emergency medical services within the community, including loss of services as a result of a hospital closure/conversion and/or readiness to support labor and delivery.
• Developing a data use and sharing agreement to facilitate strategic and sustainability planning for the intervention.

#3: Strengthen the rural health care system as a whole.  Planning activities may include, but are not limited to,

• Identifying ways to encourage cross-organizational collaboration and leadership commitment that enhance health.
• Assessing the network’s sustainability and viability.
• Identifying and establishing ways to obtain regional and/or local community support/buy-in around the development of the network.
• Identify a strategy to leverage broadband connectivity to support health information technology applications in rural communities.

Award

Expected total available funding in FY 2025: $3,500,000

Expected number and type of awards: Up to 35 new grants

Funding range per award: Up to $100,000.

Important Dates

Current Closing Date for Applications:  February 19, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Next Steps

To download and open a zip file of the full announcement, please go to Rural Health Network Development Planning Program.

You must submit your application through Grants.gov. You may do so using Grants.gov Workspace. For instructions on how to submit in Grants.gov, see the Quick Start Guide for Applicants.

For clarification about eligibility or other program questions, please contact Claire Darnall, Public Health Analyst, Community-Based Division, Attn: Rural Health Network Development Planning Program, Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, Health Resources and Services Administration at cdarnell@hrsa.gov or (301)945-5176.

To address financial and budget questions, please contact Eric Brown, Grants Management Specialist, Division of Grants Management Operations, OFAM, Health Resources and Services Administration at ebrown@hrsa.gov or 301-945-9844.

Further information is located at HRSA’s How to Prepare Your Application page, HRSA Application Guide, HRSA Grants page, and HHS Tips for Preparing Grant Proposals.