Rural Health Care Coordination Program | HRSA 20 030

Opportunity Information: Apply for HRSA 20 030

The Rural Health Care Coordination Program is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). It is designed to fund rural health consortiums or networks that want to strengthen how care is coordinated across organizations in rural communities, with the broader aim of improving access to services, the way care is delivered, and the overall quality of care. The program centers on using care coordination strategies that help rural providers work together more effectively, especially for patients with complex needs and for vulnerable populations who often face barriers like distance, limited provider availability, and fragmented services.

Applicants are expected to build or expand coordinated health care delivery in rural areas by focusing on four core areas that research and prior award recipients have identified as essential for success. The first focus area is collaboration. This means using a consortium-based approach where member organizations actively participate in integrated, coordinated, patient-centered care delivery. In practice, this typically involves formal partnerships and shared workflows across entities such as hospitals, clinics, primary care practices, behavioral health providers, public health agencies, EMS, social service organizations, and other community partners so that patients experience smoother referrals, better follow-up, and fewer gaps in care.

The second focus area is leadership and workforce. The program emphasizes developing and strengthening a capable care coordination workforce that can respond to unmet needs in rural communities, particularly among vulnerable groups. This includes building skills, roles, and operational capacity for functions like care management, navigation, transitional care, patient outreach, chronic disease management support, and coordination across clinical and non-clinical services. The intent is not only to add staff, but to ensure the workforce is trained and organized well enough to deliver consistent, high-quality coordination in settings where resources are often stretched.

The third focus area is improved outcomes. HRSA expects funded projects to expand access and improve quality, delivery, and health outcomes by implementing evidence-based models and/or promising practices that are tailored to local needs. This allows rural networks to choose approaches that make sense for their populations while still grounding their work in methods that have demonstrated impact. The goal is measurable improvement, such as better service availability, more timely care, stronger continuity between settings, improved management of chronic conditions, reduced avoidable utilization, and overall better patient health outcomes.

The fourth focus area is sustainability. A key expectation is that grantees will strengthen the long-term financial viability of the care coordination program rather than relying only on grant funding. This includes developing revenue sources and financial supports such as improved reimbursement for expanded services, shared resources among partners, and contributions from community, county, regional, or state partners. The sustainability requirement signals that HRSA is looking for networks that can embed care coordination into routine operations and financing structures so the work continues after the grant period.

Successful award recipients are expected to show progress in four corresponding results. They should be able to demonstrate stronger integrated systems that allow member organizations to collaborate and share data, an effective care coordination workforce capable of meeting community needs, measurable improvements in access, service delivery, quality, and patient outcomes, and increased financial sustainability of the coordination effort. The opportunity is listed under Funding Opportunity Number HRSA 20 030 and CFDA 93.912, uses a grant funding instrument, and anticipates making about 10 awards. The maximum award amount is $250,000. The opportunity was created on December 13, 2019, with an original application deadline of March 12, 2020, and eligibility is categorized broadly as "others" with additional eligibility details provided in the full announcement.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Rural Health Care Coordination Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.912.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 13, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 12, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $250,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for HRSA 20 030

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