| Nebraska Rural Health Transformation Initiatives | Eligible to Respond to RFA | Notes | RFA Release Date |
Initiative 1: Make Rural Nebraska Healthy Through Food as Medicine |
| 1.1 School Kitchen Modernization Grant | Any public or private elementary, middle, or high school in rural or frontier counties. | Interagency agreement with the Department of Education, and they will release the RFA
Project to supply equipment for schools to serve whole fresh food
| May-26 |
| 1.2 Regional Food Pantry Development | Non-profit organizations and co-ops | Increase the availability of whole fresh foods. | 3/10/2026 |
| 1.3 Farm-to-School Procurement & TA | Local rural farmers, ranchers, and food suppliers. | Interagency agreement with the Department of Education, and they will release the RFA
Project to enhance kitchen-ready local supply chain for rural schools
| May-26 |
| 1.5 Nebraska Kids Fitness & Nutrition | Local Health Department and Tribal Partners - targeted, narrow RFA release to continue work started by the LHD in 2025. | Local activities focusing on health literacy and healthy behaviors. | 3/16/2026 |
Initiative 2: Regionalized Rural Access and Navigation |
| 2.2b Rural Jurisdictional Stockpiles | Local Health Departments willing and able to manage inventory | Ensure rapid access to essential medical supplies during emergencies and reduce reliance on federal deployments. | 1/21/2026 |
| 2.3a Community Health Worker Networks | Local and Tribal Health Departments | Represents phase 1. | 1/8/2026 |
| 2.5 CAH to REH Conversion | Critical Access Hospitals (CAH), Rural Emergency Hospitals (REH) | Projects to assist Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) and Rural Emergency Hospitals (REH) with infrastructure, technology, and equipment improvements that would aid in service line expansion and improvement that will result in financial stabilization. | Early May |
Initiative 3: Rural Workforce Acceleration |
| 3.1 Rural Provider Recruitment and Retention Incentives | Individual health care providers | Incentive payments to eligible licensed healthcare providers for 5-year service commitment in a rural facility (eligibility includes license type, serving Medicaid patients). | 4/15/2026 |
| 3.2 Rural VR and Skills Acceleration Network | Licensed training agencies within the State of Nebraska who have a primary focus on training Nebraska EMS providers and/or healthcare providers. Nebraska based associations or community development organizations with a focus on EMS and EMS Education are also eligible. EMS training agencies who only provide training for internal candidates and students are not eligible for this funding. | Funding for agencies to provide training and education for EMS and/or health care providers when responding to high-acuity, low-occurrence situations using VR and high-fidelity training equipment. | Jun-26
|
| 3.3 Rural Health Care Workforce Incentive & Sustainability | Local and state governments, Indian tribes, institutions of higher education, or other eligible organizations in rural Nebraska who can meet the requirements of a SNAP E&T training program. | Start-up grants for new SNAP E&T training sites. | 3/9/2026 |
Initiative 4: eHealth and Mobile Care
|
| 4.2a Oral Health (NE Teeth Forever) | Local and Tribal Health Departments | Provide for and expand access to preventive oral health services in rural, frontier, and tribal communities through community-based delivery models. | 1/8/2026 |
| 4.2b Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI) Prevention | Outpatient healthcare facilities, hospitals, and long-term care facilities | Assistance for healthcare partners to reduce preventable infections, limit antibiotic resistance, and improve healthcare outcomes in rural Nebraska. | 4/10/2026 |
| 4.4a Chronic Disease Management | Rural Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs), Local Health Departments (LHDs), Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs), Rural Hospitals (non-CAH), Tribal Health Facilities | Projects to expand community-based education, care navigation, and self-management support for individuals living with chronic conditions, often through community health workers. | 2/24/2026 |
| 4.4a Chronic Disease Management | Community Colleges and Tribal Colleges/Universities | Projects to offer training modules to Community Health Workers (CHW). Projects should increase the availability of independent, subject matter specific modules that enhance CHWs' expertise in health outcome-related fields, i.e., chronic disease prevention and control, rather than provide foundational training. | 3/30/2026 |
| 4.4b Remote Patient Monitoring | Critical Access Hospitals, Rural Emergency Hospitals, Regional Rural Hospitals, Federally Qualified Health Centers | Projects to expand innovative care delivery models that improve chronic disease management, strengthen rural health infrastructure, and reduce avoidable hospital utilization by implementing Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) programs in Nebraska. | 3/23/26 Amended 4/2/26
Extended Application Due date 4/24/26
|
| 4.4b Remote Patient Monitoring | Local governments, Tribal organizations, institutes of higher education, nonprofit entities, rural provider organizations, community-based entities, and other approved partners. | Provide funding for tech-enabled safety, cueing, reminder, and environmental support for older adults and individuals with disabilities to allow for safe living in home and community settings.
This is a Contract Opportunity.
| Mid-May 2026
|
Initiative 5: Rural Emergency Behavioral Health
|
| 5.3 Modification of Existing Clinical Facilities for Crisis Stabilization Centers. | Non-profit organizations rendering BH crisis services. | Provide funding for equipment and enhancements to hospitals and behavioral health providers to expand crisis response, stabilization, and substance use withdrawal services in rural areas. | 4/20/2026 |
Initiative 6: ALF Special Needs Population Incentive Model
|
| 6.2 Facility Modernization Grants | Assisted Living Facilities (ALF) | Agreement with the NE Health Care Association, and they will release the RFA to all ALF
Project to modify or equip facilities to safely accommodate residents with memory care needs.
| Jun-26
|