National support leads to local success

Last month, two of our local foundations received Rural Health Transformation Program grants from the State of Iowa. Thanks to seamless — and speedy! — collaboration between national and local teams, $600,000 has been awarded for workforce development:

 CHI Health Mercy Corning: $120,000 for Internal Medicine Recruitment ( Adams County)
 CHI Health Mercy Corning: $120,000 for RN Recruitment (Adams County)
 CHI Health Mercy Corning: $120,000 for RN Recruitment (Taylor County)
 CHI Health Missouri Valley: $120,000 for BHNP Recruitment (Harrison County)
 CHI Health Missouri Valley: $120,000 for Clinical RN Recruitment (Harrison County)

Many of our local foundation teams are familiar with the national foundation team members who spearhead our grants program: Leia Morgan, CGMS, System Vice President of Philanthropy Grants — as well as our exceptional Philanthropy Champion of the Year, Shelly Schlenker, Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy Officer of CommonSpirit Health.

Leia sat down to share what our local teams should be aware of now and for future funding opportunities.

Can you provide background on the Rural Health Transformation Funding?

The Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program is a significant federal initiative allocating $50 billion over the next five years to approved states to support rural healthcare. States have recently received their year-one awards and will soon release Requests for Proposals for sub-awards. Because each state has established its own rural priorities, initiatives will vary by location.

The System office now offers grant writing support to local foundation teams. This initiative also extends to Critical Access Hospitals in Nebraska, Iowa, North Dakota and Minnesota, which may lack specialized expertise or local philanthropic resources for RHT applications. This collaborative approach ensures that funding requests align with regional priorities and CommonSpirit Health's 2030 Strategic Plan.

What is the best way to be ready for fast evolving funding opportunities like this — and to activate it with you and your team? 

To prepare for and activate the fast-evolving RHT Funding, our best approach is proactive readiness and centralized coordination. Teams should utilize the RHTP Response Toolkit to develop competitive applications that align with our core objectives: enhancing healthcare access and quality. Our collaborative structure — established by Advocacy and Philanthropy — ensures comprehensive support and alignment for all grant submissions.

By leveraging shared resources, adhering to established approval processes and engaging with our coordinated support structure, we can ensure well-vetted applications that maximize CommonSpirit Health’s impact on rural health transformation.

What are future funding opportunities to be aware of in the coming years? 

Each state has developed unique plans for addressing Rural Health Transformation (RHT). Philanthropy teams should monitor their respective state agencies overseeing these funds, as these agencies are expected to issue Requests for Proposals (RFPs) in the coming months. Future funding will depend on each state's ability to spend and meet required goals. We expect this will lead to multiple RFPs over the next five years. While state plans vary, we anticipate common funding themes across the country to include equipment and workforce development.

Please note that funding is not guaranteed for healthcare organizations, and the application process is expected to be extremely competitive.

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