Rural Community Health Integration

The New York State Department of Health administers the Rural Community Health Integration funding opportunity as part of the broader Rural Health Transformation Program. This initiative is supported by funding from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, with a substantial federal award allocated to improve rural health systems. The program focuses on strengthening access to care, improving quality and outcomes, and enhancing sustainability through coordinated, community-based health system transformation efforts in rural areas across New York State. The primary purpose of this funding opportunity is to establish and expand coordinated rural health partnerships that improve access to comprehensive, high-quality care. The initiative emphasizes integration across the care continuum, encouraging collaboration between hospitals, primary care providers, behavioral health providers, and community-based organizations. Projects are expected to address both clinical and social determinants of health while targeting measurable improvements such as reducing preventable emergency visits, lowering hospital readmissions, and increasing preventive care utilization. Funding is structured across planning and implementation components. Each eligible county may receive up to five hundred thousand dollars for planning activities, which include community engagement, needs assessments, feasibility studies, governance development, and partnership formation. In addition, applicants may request up to three million dollars total for implementation projects that can be completed within the budget period. Funds are reimbursable and tied to deliverables, and they must support new or expanded activities rather than ongoing operations. Allowable uses include technology adoption, workforce development, care coordination infrastructure, behavioral health integration, and limited minor renovations with prior approval. Strict limitations apply to administrative costs, construction, and clinical service payments. Eligibility is centered on collaborative applications. Each submission must include a lead applicant and at least one partner organization, including a hospital. Lead applicants must be not for profit organizations with 501(c)(3) status or municipal hospitals, demonstrate regulatory compliance history, and be located within designated rural counties in New York. A wide range of healthcare and community entities may participate as partners, including local health departments, federally qualified health centers, behavioral health clinics, emergency medical services providers, and long term care organizations. Applications must address at least one of the program’s key priority areas tied to access, quality, or preventive care outcomes. The application process requires joint submission by eligible partners through materials made available by the Department of Health. Applicants must complete required forms including an attestation of eligibility and submit proposals electronically by the stated deadline. Questions are accepted prior to submission and responses are published publicly. Applications are evaluated based on eligibility, alignment with program goals, strength of proposed partnerships, feasibility of implementation, and the extent to which projects demonstrate measurable impact and sustainability. The timeline for this funding opportunity includes a release date in June, a short question period, and a final application deadline in early July. Awards will result in contracts beginning September 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2027, with all deliverables expected within that period. Grantees must report progress and demonstrate measurable outcomes by the end of the contract term. The program is part of a multi year initiative, with future funding opportunities anticipated in subsequent budget periods for implementation of longer term projects. Successful applicants are expected to participate in statewide learning collaboratives and ongoing evaluation activities. These collaboratives facilitate shared learning, dissemination of best practices, and alignment with statewide transformation goals. Overall, the program represents a structured and outcome driven investment in rural health system integration, emphasizing collaboration, accountability, and long term sustainability of improved care delivery models.

Focus on strong cross sector partnerships, clearly defined measurable outcomes, and sustainability beyond the funding period; prioritize maternal health, behavioral health, and substance use initiatives as these receive priority consideration