Application Deadlines Extended for Rural Texas Strong Opportunities
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) is extending the application deadlines for various initiatives that are a part of the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), also known in Texas as Rural Texas Strong. We are seeing tremendous interest and the additional time is intended to help all rural Texas communities benefit from these opportunities. Eligible entities must submit their application by or before 10:30 a.m. Central Time on the dates below.
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Initiative
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New Deadline
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Original Deadline to Apply
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Eligible Entities*
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Initiative 1, Part 1 – Make Rural Texans Healthy Again
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May 26, 2026
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May 22, 2026
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Rural hospital districts with a publicly owned and operated hospital in their jurisdiction.
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Initiative 4 – The Next Generation of the Small Town Doctor and Team
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June 9, 2026
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May 27, 2026
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Rural health care providers, with at least one award anticipated per rural county.
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Initiative 6 – Infrastructure and Capital Investments for Rural Texas
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June 10, 2026
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June 1, 2026
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Rural hospitals, rural health clinics, behavioral health providers, opioid and substance use disorder programs, emergency medical services (EMS) providers, pharmacies, public health offices, and other eligible rural providers.
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Initiative 1, Part 2 – Make Rural Texans Healthy Again
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June 4, 2026
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June 4, 2026
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Public and private rural hospitals.
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*This might not be a complete list. The full list of types of eligible entities is provided in the RFAs, which are linked in the Initiative column.
To apply for a grant, you’ll need to register an account in IAMOnline, then fill out the application forms for the grant at the HHS Grants Portal.
To Register an Account
- Go to the IAMOnline.
- Click the “Register Non-HHS employee account or organization.”
- If your organization is already registered, select “Register an Individual.”
- If your organization isn’t registered, “Register an Organization.” (You will automatically be registered as an individual, but others in your organization will need to register as individuals).
- List victoria.grady@hhs.texas.gov as agency sponsor.
- Follow the instructions on the page to register your account.
- You’ll get an email confirming registration application.
- You’ll get a second email when your registration is approved.
To Apply for a Grant After You’ve Set Up Your IAMOnline Account
- Go to IAMOnline.
- Sign the Authorized User Access (AUA) form located in the AUA tile on your IAMOnline portal.
- Click on the Manage my Access tile.
- Type “GMS” into the search bar and select “GMS External.”
- Follow the remaining steps to submit your request for the GMS application tile.
- Click on the GMS tile, and from there you will land on the GMS dashboard.
- Locate your new pending award by going to My Dashboard page and searching under the In Negotiations tab in the Awards table. Please review the Contract Packet and access the Tasks tab to complete any actions by the listed deadline.
Additional information about the funding opportunities can be found on the HHSC Open Grant Opportunities webpage.
Rural Texas Strong is supported by CMS of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $281,319,360.67 with 100 percent of funding by CMS/HHS. The contents of this email are those of HHSC and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CMS/HHS, or the U.S. Government.
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