Rural Regional Reorientation (RRR) Program

The Oklahoma State Department of Health administers the Rural Regional Reorientation program which is a targeted funding opportunity designed to address persistent gaps in rural healthcare delivery across Oklahoma. The program is supported by a substantial federal allocation and reflects a strategic effort to modernize and improve healthcare access, quality, and sustainability in rural communities. The initiative emphasizes immediate action and prioritizes projects that can demonstrate measurable impact quickly. The purpose of the Rural Regional Reorientation funding opportunity is to enhance access to both localized and specialized healthcare services in underserved rural areas, improve quality by reducing chronic disease rates and avoidable hospitalizations, and promote long-term sustainability of healthcare systems. The program encourages innovative solutions that optimize existing resources and strengthen partnerships between healthcare providers and social service organizations. Projects must align with at least one of the program’s core objectives: access, quality, or sustainability. Funding is provided through a competitive grant process, with awards of up to four million dollars per application. The total program funding is estimated at approximately twenty million dollars, with flexibility for the administering agency to reallocate funds based on application quality and program needs. Funds are distributed on a reimbursement basis, requiring recipients to initially cover eligible expenses and submit documentation for reimbursement. The funding is intended for both planning and implementation activities, though priority is given to shovel-ready initiatives capable of immediate execution. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement associated with this opportunity. Eligible applicants include clinical providers such as hospitals, outpatient clinics, and long-term care facilities, as well as social service providers including food banks, schools, and local government entities. Tribal governments and school districts are also eligible. Applicants must be located in Oklahoma and actively providing services within the state, with projects specifically benefiting rural populations defined as communities with populations of 55,000 or fewer. Additional requirements include maintaining an active Unique Entity Identifier, registration in SAM.gov, compliance with federal funding eligibility standards, and possession of an active certificate of insurance. The application process requires submission of a structured proposal including organizational capacity details, evidence of need, implementation plans, and impact and sustainability strategies. Applicants must also complete required attachments such as budget documentation and grants management forms. The evaluation process consists of an initial compliance review followed by a merit-based scoring phase. Applications are assessed on criteria including partnership strength, demonstrated need, implementation feasibility, projected impact, and budget justification. Awards are allocated based on scoring rankings and available funding. Key deadlines include the application submission deadline of June 12, 2026 at 11:59 PM, with a pre-application webinar held on May 7 and a question submission window closing on May 8. Award notifications are expected in late August or early September, followed by contract execution in early fall. Funded projects must fully expend awarded funds by September 30, 2027. This is a one-time funding opportunity for the first year of the program, although future funding rounds are anticipated in subsequent years, subject to availability of funds.

Prioritize shovel-ready projects with immediate impact; clearly demonstrate measurable outcomes aligned to access quality or sustainability; ensure budget justification is well supported; include strong partnership roles if applicable