Rural Community Hubs for Chronic Care Innovation
A Kentucky Rural Health Transformation Plan Initiative
The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky (FHKY) serves as a primary partner with the Kentucky Rural Health Transformation Rural Community Hubs for Chronic Care Innovation (RCH) initiative.
About the RCH Initiative: 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 plans to establish Hubs in all of the geographic Area Development Districts (ADDs) across the state with a phased rollout beginning with Big Sandy, Lake Cumberland, and Purchase ADDs. 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).
Examples of who should fill out this RFA to become a Rural Community Hub Lead Organization within the Big Sandy, Lake Cumberland, and Purchase ADDs 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, and Local Coalitions
The RFA has further information:
You will also need:
Deadline to complete RFA: June 1, 2026 by 6pm Eastern Time
For questions regarding the RFA: RCHgrant@healthy-KY.org
You can also view the slides from recent information sessions! Download them here.
Questions or comments about RCH?
The FHKY RCH Team:
Geoff Weiss
Director of Collective Impact InitiativesAbout Kentucky Rural Health Transformation
This program will empower Kentucky to launch and implement a community-driven strategy to expand access and improve health outcomes for rural residents across the Commonwealth. Read more about Kentucky’s Rural Health Transformation.
This project is 100% funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 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 RHTF grant spans five budget periods aligned with federal fiscal years (FY2026–FY2030). Funding is disbursed annually by CMS based on achievement of performance metrics. View the Notice of Funding Opportunity from CMS.