Chronic Disease Management Program

The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) released this funding opportunity under the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) to support chronic disease management efforts in rural Oklahoma communities. The RHTP is a federally supported initiative funded through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The broader RHTP is described as a five-year national initiative intended to strengthen rural health systems and improve health outcomes in underserved areas. Through this specific opportunity, OSDH seeks to invest in evidence-informed chronic disease management programs that can improve prevention, treatment, monitoring, and long-term outcomes for rural populations experiencing high burdens of chronic illness. The program provides approximately $15 million in Year 1 funding, with anticipated individual awards ranging from $1 million to $5 million. OSDH anticipates issuing up to fifteen awards, though the final number of awards and funding amounts will depend on the quality and quantity of applications received. The funding period extends through September 30, 2027, with all funds required to be obligated by May 1, 2027. Personnel, fringe, and travel costs must be expended by October 30, 2026. Awards are reimbursement-based, meaning recipients must initially cover allowable costs and later seek reimbursement from OSDH. The agency also notes the possibility of future continuation funding during Years 2 through 5 of the Rural Health Transformation Program, subject to federal funding availability and recipient performance. Eligible applicants include community-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, healthcare providers, tribal entities, higher education institutions, municipalities, state agencies, county governments, and other local government entities that currently provide services in rural Oklahoma. Applicants must maintain a physical presence in Oklahoma and demonstrate an established history of serving rural Oklahoma communities directly or through formal partnerships. Services funded under the award must primarily support eligible rural Oklahoma communities with populations under 55,000. Applicants must possess an active Unique Entity Identifier and active SAM.gov registration and may not be suspended or debarred from receiving federal funds. Organizations applying through fiscal sponsorship arrangements are permitted, but the sponsored organization must still independently satisfy the Oklahoma presence and rural service requirements. Funding is intended for evidence-informed programs addressing chronic conditions including cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease, diabetes, and stroke. Allowable uses include participant recruitment, program implementation costs, staff training, evaluation activities, equipment, supplies, digital tool development, workflow development, and related operational expenses tied directly to program delivery. OSDH emphasizes that funded approaches must demonstrate a reasonable evidence base or established best practices for improving chronic disease outcomes in comparable populations. Applicants are expected to provide supporting evidence, logic models, implementation strategies, evaluation methodologies, and sustainability plans demonstrating how the proposed intervention can continue after grant funding ends. The funding opportunity includes several restrictions and prohibited uses. Grant funds may not be used for lobbying, fundraising, alcohol, land acquisition, major construction, medications, broadband infrastructure, services already reimbursable through Medicaid or insurance, or matching requirements for other federal awards. Food costs and international visa sponsorship are also prohibited. Administrative costs are capped at five percent of the total award, including both direct and indirect administrative expenses. Applicants must also certify that funds will not supplant existing federal, state, or local funding sources previously supporting the proposed activities. Applications must be submitted through the designated OSDH application form and include multiple required components. Required submissions include organizational information, a detailed project plan, expenditure budget forms, evaluation plan, grants management documentation, financial statements, certificate of insurance, and applicable indirect cost agreements. The project plan may not exceed fifteen pages and must address organizational capacity, evidence of need, program design, implementation milestones, staffing, partnerships, evaluation methods, participant engagement, sustainability planning, and projected future budget needs. The evaluation plan is limited to five pages and must describe evaluation methodology, data collection procedures, outcome measures, and reporting plans. Applications undergo a two-stage review process consisting of a basic eligibility review followed by a merit-based scoring review using weighted criteria such as organizational capacity, program design, sustainability, evaluation quality, and budget reasonableness. Applications are due on June 8, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Central Time. OSDH expects to issue awards by August 2026. Prospective applicants may submit questions through the Chronic Disease Management Program FAQ process, and OSDH indicated that a future webinar for applicants would be announced through the Rural Health Transformation Program website. Successful awardees will be required to submit monthly progress reports, quarterly metric reports, annual reports, and a final evaluation report, in addition to complying with all contractual and financial reporting obligations established by OSDH.

Emphasize demonstrated rural Oklahoma service history, evidence-informed chronic disease interventions, measurable evaluation metrics, sustainability beyond grant funding, and strong partnerships with local healthcare and community organizations. Clearly align budget items with allowable costs and rural health outcomes.