Texas Health and Human Services Commission · Posted April 27, 2026
Application Due
May 27, 2026
Q&A Deadline
May 8, 2026
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) seeks applications for the Rural Texas Strong Initiative 4: The Next Generation of the Small Town Doctor and Team. This program assists eligible rural healthcare providers in recruiting and training healthcare professionals by building education and training pipelines, and developing retention strategies for providers practicing in rural areas. Funding supports workforce shortage initiatives, local partnerships, scholarships, and sustainable collaborations with academic institutions. Provides up to $725,000 per award to eligible rural healthcare entities for projects to recruit, train, and retain healthcare professionals in rural Texas. Supported activities include building high school health career paths, scholarships, relocation bonuses, and residency/fellowship programs. Retention activities may also be supported. This grant opportunity from HHSC supports rural healthcare providers in Texas to recruit, train, and retain healthcare professionals by building local education/training pipelines and implementing retention strategies. Eligible projects include career path development for local students, scholarships to recent graduates (with 5-year rural service commitment), relocation/signing bonuses, and creation of rural residency/fellowship programs. The goal is to address rural workforce shortages and strengthen the next generation of healthcare professionals in small towns across Texas. The Rural Texas Strong Initiative 4 seeks to fund eligible rural healthcare providers to recruit and train healthcare professionals in rural Texas communities. The program supports building local education and training pipelines, scholarships, recruitment bonuses, and the creation of new residency or fellowship programs to address persistent workforce shortages. Applicants can propose projects using at least one of four approaches: student career path development, scholarships, relocation/signing bonuses, or new training partnerships with academic institutions. The Rural Texas Strong Program – Initiative 1 (Part 2): Make Rural Texans Healthy Again provides funding to rural Texas hospitals to enhance or create community-based prevention, wellness, and nutrition programs or services. Activities must implement at least one of eight authorized project methods to improve rural health outcomes. Eligible project methods include diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular, or chronic respiratory disease programs, wellness centers, a...
Eligible applicants include rural hospitals, rural health clinics, federally qualified health centers, independent primary care and specialty physicians, behavioral health clinics, pharmacies, emergency medical services providers, community health workers, and academic institutions serving rural Texas communities, as defined in Section 3.1 of the RFA and 25 Tex. Admin. Code Chapter 355, Subchapter J.
Required attachments
Electronic submission via Grants Management System (GMS) External Portal (https://hhsgrant.my.site.com/Grants/). No paper submissions allowed. Applicant account setup is described in Exhibit I of the RFA. All responses must be submitted in accordance with the RFA package instructions. Contact the Point of Contact in the Solicitation for questions.
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Application Prep
Application #: HHS0017212
Reference: RFA No. HHS0017212
Program: Rural Texas Strong Initiative 4: The Next Generation of the Small Town Doctor and Team
Match: No match required
Performance: Anticipated Project Start Date: No later than September 30, 2026; Completion required by April 30, 2031 (Section 2.4)
Key Dates:
Review Criteria:
Budget Range
Contact
Sole Point of Contact
Alexis Jimerson, CTCD, CTCM
SPPPCS@hhs.texas.gov