Arkansas launches $4.6M PACT, Oklahoma out with 2 new NOFOs, and New Mexico readies $46M
NM indicates nine community-designed and community-led awardees will get up to $5M each
In this issue:
Get Ready: New Mexico’s $47M Rural Health Innovation Fund Opens June 15
Montana posts surveys on HIE Service Status and Usability and EHR Readiness Assessment
Arkansas launches PACT, $4.6M available, due July 10
Oklahoma releases Behavioral Health Integration – Medications for Opioid and Alcohol Use Disorder Program and Emergency Medical Service and Community Paramedicine Vehicles NOFOs
Get Ready: New Mexico’s $47M Rural Health Innovation Fund Opens June 15
Yesterday New Mexico changed their website to indicate they were pushing back the Rural Health Innovation Fund release date one week,
Community-based organizations (CBOs), tribal nations, and rural providers, mark your calendars: The New Mexico Health Care Authority’s (HCA) updated program guide indicates the Request for Applications (RFA) for the 5-year $187.5 million Rural Health Innovation Fund will drop on Monday, June 15, 2026.
As Initiative 3 of the state’s $1 billion Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Plan, this fund is the primary engine for community-designed and community-led micro-grants. Unlike the state’s existing Rural Health Care Delivery Fund (RHCDF)—which is strictly dedicated to offsetting operational losses for Medicaid providers—the federal Innovation Fund is built to empower local entities to tackle their unique community challenges with locally tailored solutions.
What the Fund Will Cover The state anticipates awarding multiple competitive subgrants—projecting an average award size of roughly $5 million, though exact amounts will vary based on community proposals—for initiatives focused on:
Non-Medical Drivers of Health: Programs addressing local barriers that limit health care access, such as food insecurity and transportation needs.
Community-Led Prevention: Expanding local screenings, chronic disease management, and preventive services, including dental, vision, and hearing.
Behavioral Health: Expanding peer supports, mental health screening integration, and SUD/OUD treatment access.
Facility & Equipment Improvements: Funding for rural hospitals, clinics, and Skilled Nursing Facilities to purchase necessary medical equipment or make minor facility renovations that improve patient safety and access.
What Applicants Must Prepare Now Because this money flows from the federal RHT Program, it comes with significant strings attached. If your organization plans to apply, here is what you need to start preparing immediately:
A Detailed Sustainability Plan: This is arguably the biggest hurdle. These subgrants provide one-time, non-recurring funding for each approved initiative. The HCA will explicitly require applicants to include a detailed sustainability plan in their grant applications outlining how the program will be maintained after the federal money runs out. You must be able to demonstrate how you will engage philanthropic support, tap into ongoing revenue streams, or secure local matching funds (the state has set an ambitious objective for 70% of funded projects to be entirely self-sustaining by FFY 2031).
Proof of Non-Duplication: You must be able to verify that your proposed project does not duplicate existing state programs or supplant existing funding streams, such as Medicaid reimbursement.
Strict Audit Readiness: The winning Administrative Services Organization (ASO) vendor will handle the intake and compliance tracking for these grants. Subrecipients will be held to strict federal 2 CFR 200 standards, which means you must be prepared to submit regular performance and financial reports, undergo desk reviews, and potentially face on-site monitoring to verify your invoices are allowable.
Measurable Community Benefit: Your application must provide a clear rationale and measurable outcomes demonstrating exactly how the proposed program will directly benefit the rural organization and its community members.
While the ASO will manage the strict financial compliance, the state’s CRHSI Operator will be tasked with providing technical assistance to subgrantees to help them identify and secure those alternative funding sources (like federal grants or Medicaid waivers) to hit their long-term sustainability goals.
Montana posts surveys on HIE Service Status and Usability and EHR Readiness Assessment
We are seeking input from health care CEOs, COOs, CTOs, physicians or clinic owners, and organizational decision makers to help shape the future of rural health technology in our state.
We are conducting two brief surveys to better understand current Electronic Health Record (EHR) and Health Information Exchange (HIE) capabilities, needs, and funding priorities under the Rural Health Transformation Program.
Survey results will directly inform:
EHR modernization for rural providers
Improved use and exchange of health information
Future rural health technology investments
The surveys will be live until June 19, 2026 at the links below:
