Eligibility and Application Process
Eligible applicants for the Rural Hospital Stabilization Program (RHSP) include critical access hospitals (CAH), prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals, rural emergency hospitals (REH) and Indian Health Service (IHS) hospitals, regardless of bed size.
Eligible hospitals will:
Meet the Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA's) definition of "rural hospital" to participate;
-Or-
Be a short-term, non-federal general facility located outside Metropolitan Core-Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) or located within Metropolitan areas in locations with Rural-Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) codes of four (4) or greater;
-Or-
Be a facility in any location participating in Medicare as a CAH or REH;
-Or-
Be a hospital operated by tribes and tribal organizations under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (Public Law 93-638, as amended) and/or operate as a CAH or REH.
In addition, program applicants:
- Must not be a current participant in any other technical assistance program offered at the state or federal level that is duplicative of services.
- Must not be located in one of the 252 counties or parishes in the Delta Regional Authority Service Area. For TA programs available in this area, please see Delta Region Community Health Systems Development Program.
Application Process
RHSP online applications are accepted on a rolling basis and may be submitted any time during the year. A new cohort of hospitals begins each program year. To submit a full application and be considered for the next cohort, the chief executive officer must complete a 60-minute application review call with RHSP program staff. Hospitals are encouraged to submit online applications as early as possible to ensure review calls are completed for consideration.
Applications are evaluated based on (1) how well each applicant hospital’s technical assistance needs coincide with the program’s purpose and (2) the commitment of the organization’s leadership to participate fully in the program.
Applicants not selected to participate in the current program cycle will be considered for future cycles.
Individual questions about eligibility should be directed to stabilization@ruralcenter.org.