Applications are accepted on a rolling basis; however, a deadline is assigned for each project year. Once the deadline for an upcoming project year has passed, organizations may begin applying for the next project year at any time.

Can I save my application and return to it later for completion?

No, the application cannot be saved while in progress. However, the application should take only 10 minutes or less to complete.

When will applicants be notified if they've been selected?

Applicants will be notified in early November 2025, with project activities beginning in early December 2025, and running through August.

My health care organization was not selected for RHPTP TA this year. Do I need to submit another application to be considered for the next RHPTP project year?

Yes, a new application will need to be submitted for each new project year. The application is short and should take less than 10 minutes to complete.

Eligibility Questions

Who is eligible for participation in RHPTP?

Health care organizations that are located in geographic areas that are defined as rural are eligible to apply for RHPTP. Use the Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer to determine eligibility.

Eligible applicants include small rural hospitals, including critical access hospitals (CAHs) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)-certified rural health clinics (RHCs) not currently receiving similar TA from other federal or state programs.

Hospitals must meet the following eligibility requirements:

Is located in a rural area as defined in 42 U.S.C. 1395ww(d), treated as if located in a rural area pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 1395ww(d)(8)(C), or located in a FORHP rural area.
Has 49 available beds or less, as reported on the hospital’s most recently filed Medicare Cost Report.
Small rural hospitals may be for-profit or not-for-profit, including faith-based. Small rural hospitals in U.S. territories as well as tribally operated hospitals under Titles I and V of P.L 93-638 [PDF]tribally operated hospitals under Titles I and V of P.L. 93-638 [PDF] may receive TA if they meet the other criteria in this section.

Can my organization apply in combination with another organization?

Yes, a single application may be submitted by a hospital and a rural health clinic (RHC), or a consortium of RHCs.

Can an independent RHC apply for focused technical assistance?

Yes, both certified independent and provider-based RHCs may apply.

Can a federally qualified health center (FQHC) apply for focused technical assistance?

No, FQHCs are are not eligible to apply.

Can an organization that is participating in an accountable care organization (ACO) apply for focused technical assistance?

Yes, as long as the organization is not currently participating in an advanced alternative payment model as defined by CMS.

Can a hospital that is licensed for more than 49 beds, but does not regularly staff for more, apply for technical assistance?

Please contact rhptp@ruralcenter.org at the National Rural Health Resource Center to discuss eligibility for this scenario.

Can a hospital converting to the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation apply for focused technical assistance?

No, if your hospital is in the process of or has received an REH designation, it would not be eligible to apply for focused technical assistance. Once a hospital has the REH designation, it is no longer considered a small rural hospital for the purposes of RHPTP's eligibility requirements.

My CAH is designated as rural by my state but is not considered rural by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. Are we still eligible to apply for focused technical assistance?

Yes, if the hospital meets the definition of rural defined as “is located in a rural area as defined in 42 U.S.C. 1395ww(d), treated as if located in a rural area pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 1395ww(d)(8)(C), or located in a FORHP rural area, the hospital could be eligible to apply for RHPTP-provided that all RHPTP program eligibility criteria are satisfied.

Can my organization apply for RHPTP's focused technical assistance if we are currently participating in an advanced alternative payment model?

Hospitals and RHCs currently participating in an advanced alternative payment model (advanced APM), as defined by CMS are not eligible for RHPTP TA.

What are the project expectations?

Selected organizations must be ready, willing, and able to undertake a comprehensive TA project, as well as meet participation expectations.

Selection Process Questions

How many organizations will be selected to receive focused technical assistance?

Four to six applicants are selected each year to receive virtual, focused technical assistance.

How are organizations selected to receive focused technical assistance?

Applicants who complete the RHPTP application and the interview are selected based on demonstrated need and readiness for comprehensive TA.

Technical Assistance Questions

If selected, how long will our organization receive focused technical assistance?

Technical assistance begins in December 2025 and is completed by August 31, 2026. There will also be 6-month and 12-month post-project progress calls as part of RHPTP.

[JM1]Provide month.

[JM2]Should make clear that implementation of consultant’s recommendations begins after TA, followed by the post-project calls.

If selected, what kind of focused technical assistance will my organization receive?

Selected organizations will receive 1:1 individualized focused virtual technical assistance (TA) and one on-site visit. RHPTP TA includes:

Consultations and coaching to support the implementation of best practices and adoption of recommendations for the transition to VBC strategies.
Assessment and training in the areas of efficiency, quality, patient experience, and safety of care.
Assessment of the organization’s readiness for assuming financial risk.
Participation in a peer-to-peer learning collaborative designed to support project implementation and sustainability.
Access to the Health Education and Learning Program (HELP) webinar series focusing on a variety of advanced payment models and/or VBC topics.
Recommendation Adoption Progress (RAP) follow-up calls.
In addition to the RHPTP focused technical assistance, participants will also have the opportunity to participate in a Rural Health Strategy Summit.

What if my organization is not selected to receive focused technical assistance?

Applicants not selected to participate in the project are invited to participate in RHPTP's Health Education and Learning Program (HELP) webinars, which guide small rural hospitals and certified RHC leaders and staff to:

A greater understanding of, and key strategies for, transitioning to VBC.
Increased organizational preparedness for participation in VBC.
Key resources and best practice tools.

HELP webinars are recorded and housed on the RHPTP website.

If my organization is selected to receive focused TA, what quality improvement topic areas can we choose from?

Building Infrastructure that Embeds Quality Improvement in Practice	This might be for you if… Your organization is seeking to establish a shared and consistent approach to quality improvement based on mutual understanding of a standard methodology, to improve efficiencies, workflow, and communication.
Improving Patient Safety Culture	This might be for you if… Your organization is seeking to build processes and performance on a firm foundation of safety, teamwork, and accountability to reduce harm to patients and staff.
Improving Coordination of Care	This might be for you if… Your organization is seeking to improve patient outcomes and lower costs by improving the coordination of patient care across health care settings and with community service support organizations.
Improving Patient Experience	This might be for you if… Your organization is seeking to improve the holistic experience of patients’ care, and to ensure the voice of patients and caregivers are incorporated into the design of health care processes and delivery.

Application Questions

Eligibility Questions

Selection Process Questions

Technical Assistance Questions

Application Questions

Eligibility Questions

Selection Process Questions

Technical Assistance Questions

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