FORHP Awards More Than $6 Million to Strengthen Rural Health Networks
Sep 23, 2026
The Federal Office of Rural Health Policy has made $6.3 million for 13 new grant awards as part of its ongoing rural health network initiative.
This includes seven awards through the Rural Health Network Advancement Program and six awards through the Delta Rural Integrated Health Networks. This investment represents the next step of a multi-year effort by FORHP to modernize its grant programs that support the ability of rural hospitals and clinics to work together to stabilize rural healthcare delivery and ensure access to needed services.
Rural Health Network Advancement Program
Approximately $3.5 million is awarded to the seven awardees for the Rural Health Network Advancement Program. The Network Advancement program supports existing rural health networks in implementing projects that advance clinical or operational integration to improve coordinated care delivery, preserve access to essential services, and strengthen financial and workforce sustainability in rural areas.
Recipients from six states will each receive up to $2 million over the four-year project period to focus on enhancing network operations and financial viability in a structure that allows networks to maintain local autonomy and responsiveness to community needs.
With FORHP support, these organizations will work towards becoming sustainable beyond the project period, achieving long-term outcomes such as increased volume and revenue and expanded operational services and infrastructure across network members.
Rural Health Network Advancement Program awardees are:
- Eastern Plains Health Care Consortium, Colorado
- Hoosier High Value Health Network, Indiana
- Nebraska High Value Network, Inc., Nebraska
- Serpa-ACO LLC, Nebraska
- Rough Rider High Value Network, North Dakota
- Rural Health Development, Inc., Montana
- Washington Rural Health Collaborative, Washington
If you have questions about the Rural Health Network Advancement Program, please contact Maribel Nunez: MNunez@hrsa.gov; 301.443.0466.
Delta Rural Integrated Health Network Program
Additionally, FORHP awarded nearly $2.8 million in FY 2026 to six organizations for the Delta Rural Integrated Health Network Program. Like the Rural Health Network Advancement Program, this two-year program focuses on development of new integrated health networks or enhancing existing networks among rural hospitals, primary care clinics, behavioral health providers, and other essential healthcare organizations to strengthen healthcare delivery in the Delta region.
Delta Rural Integrated Health Network Program awardees are:
- Arkansas Rural Health Partnership, Arkansas
- St. Bernards Development, Arkansas
- Louisiana Independent Hospital Network Coalition, LLC, Louisiana
- Louisiana Rural Health Association, Louisiana
- Delta Health Transformation Council, Inc., Mississippi
- Rural Hospital Alliance, Mississippi
If you have questions about the Delta Rural Integrated Health Network Program, please contact Devina Fan: dfan@hrsa.gov; 301.443.0835.
Importance of Rural Health Networks
Rural health providers have joined together to form rural health networks as a key strategy for more than 30 years, finding collective strength by working together. Given their small size and scale, rural hospitals and clinics have relied on creating formal networks to build economies of scale to lower administrative costs and support clinical services.
Rural health networks have become more important in recent years as rural hospitals and clinics, particularly those that are independent, face growing challenges. This structure helps these small providers navigate an increasingly complex healthcare landscape. Rural health networks can help their member hospitals and clinics take part in value-based care initiatives and find administrative and financial efficiencies while also supporting ongoing challenges such as recruiting and retaining clinicians.
As rural health networks have evolved to meet these challenges, FORHP has revised its grant programs to support these efforts. This included a series of listening sessions with rural health networks in 2025 to gather information to craft new funding opportunities that support these activities. Lessons learned from the FY 2026 funding cycle will inform a larger planned Notice of Funding Opportunity for rural health networks in FY 2027.
Source: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy