Rural Community Hubs for Chronic Care Innovation
A Kentucky Rural Health Transformation Plan Program
The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky (FHKY) serves as convening partner with the Kentucky Rural Health Transformation Rural Community Hubs for Chronic Care Innovation (RCH) program.
About the RCH Program: A Rural Community “Hub Lead” organization will engage community organizations and coalitions to address the prevention and management of chronic conditions with an initial focus on diabetes and obesity.
RCH Request for Applications
FHKY is accepting applications from organizations interested in serving as a Rural Community “Hub Lead” Organization.
The RCH initiative is establishing Hubs in all of the geographic Area Development Districts (ADDs) across the state. A phased rollout began with Big Sandy, Lake Cumberland, and Purchase ADDs, and will now continue to all other ADDs:
Barren River
Kentucky River
Pennyrile
Cumberland Valley
Lincoln Trail
Bluegrass
Northern Kentucky
FIVCO
KIPDA
Green River
Buffalo Trace
Gateway
Alongside local stakeholders, these Rural Community Hubs will align on a common strategy and outcome measures that are responsive to community need. Multisectoral stakeholder engagement will be ongoing and supported by a Rural Community Hub Lead Organization that directly supports Hub operations. The Rural Community Hub Lead Organizations will be selected through this Request for Applications (RFA) to receive funding and technical assistance to carry out RCH activities.
Rural Community Hub Lead Organizations will function as the central coordinating entities — convening and aligning multisectoral partners, guiding shared strategy, and supporting coordinated implementation. In this role, Rural Community Hub Lead Organizations will help organize regional collaboration, facilitate joint planning and learning, support continuous assessment for quality improvement, and coordinate shared resources and operations to advance community-driven health improvement efforts. They will work closely with core partners, including network participant organizations, dedicated FHKY staff, and the Rural Health Transformation team at Kentucky Department of Public Health (KDPH).
The portal to submit your application will be posted here in mid-November.
The RFA is available to view now for potential applicants to start planning:
Request for Application: Rural Health Transformation Hub Leadership Opportunity for Rural Community Hubs for Chronic Care Innovation
You will also need:
Appendix A: Application Narrative
Appendix B: RFA Budget Template
Examples of who should fill out this RFA to become a Rural Community Hub Lead Organization include but are not limited to:
Local Health Departments (LHDs), Healthcare Organizations, Area Development Districts (ADDs), Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs), Area Agencies on Aging and Independent Living (AAAILs), Schools and Educational Institutions, Senior Centers, Local Coalitions, and Local, For-Profit Entities
Deadline to complete RFA: December 18, 2026 by 6:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
A virtual information session for potential applicants to learn more is being hosted on October 23rd at 12 pm Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).
Click here to register for the session.
Employment Opportunities
Purchase
Lake Cumberland
Big Sandy
Program News
Questions or comments about RCH?
Rural Health Transformation Program
The Commonwealth of Kentucky has been awarded funding through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Rural Health Transformation Fund (RHTF). This investment will empower Kentucky to launch and implement its Rural Health Transformation Plan (RHTP) — a community-driven strategy to expand access and improve health outcomes for rural residents across the Commonwealth. Read Governor Beshear’s press release.
About the Program
This project is 100% funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for a total of $212.9 million in budget year 1 with 100% by CMS/HHS. The Rural Health Transformation (RHT) grant spans five budget periods aligned with federal fiscal years (FY2026–FY2030). Funding is disbursed annually by CMS based on achievement of performance metrics. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CMS/HHS, or the U.S. Government. View the Notice of Funding Opportunity at https://grants.gov/search-results-detail/360442