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657822 - FY26 RFP PHTHOCC26756 Combat Cancer Health Hubs
Funding Opportunity Details

Healthy Hometowns

Final Application Deadline: Apr 9, 2026 12:00 PM

  • Status Closed

    Posted Date Feb 27, 2026 3:00 PM

    Award Amount RangeNot Applicable

    Project Dates 06/01/2026 - 10/30/2031

    Award Announcement Date 05/26/2026

    Categorical Area

    Recurring Opportunity No

Description
Description

  • It is the responsibility of the Applicant to review all Attachments listed below for additional details regarding this Funding Opportunity.

    The issuance of this Funding Opportunity in no way constitutes a commitment by Iowa HHS to award a contract.

    Excerpts from the RFP: 

    1.01     Purpose  

    The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) # PHTHOCC26756 is to solicit applications that will enable the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (referred to as Agency) to select the most qualified applicants to serve as cancer Hub and Spoke sites. The purpose of developing Hub and Spoke sites is to increase access to and availability of cancer treatment in Rural Iowa. Through the Healthy Hometowns Rural Health Transformation Program, Iowa is working toward innovative and transformative models of healthcare delivery to best serve rural Iowans.  

    Hub and Spoke sites will work collaboratively to increase access to chemotherapy in Rural Iowa. The Hub and Spoke sites will also increase access to additional forms of cancer treatment, management, screening, and diagnostics at Spoke sites by developing and implementing networks that include: 

    • Adding new chemotherapy lines of service at Spoke sites or the creation of additional capacity at existing Rural chemotherapy sites via additional infusion chairs, increased hours of operation, or other solutions that increase the number of patients receiving chemotherapy in Rural communities, 

    • Coordinating care for patients between Hub and Spoke sites, resulting in treatment provided locally at the Spoke site whenever possible and appropriate visits to the Hub site coordinated to maximize appointment time and reduce the amount of travel needed for completion of the care plan, 

    • Conducting remote consultation with medical personnel located at Hub sites, including tele-oncology services, 

    • Developing virtual Tumor Boards that allow medical professionals at Spoke sites to work collaboratively with medical professionals at the Hub site to diagnose patients and develop treatment plans that include care at the Spoke whenever possible and at the Hub site when necessary,  

    • Developing solutions for virtual visits and exchanging records and data between Hubs and Spokes. 

    • Developing and executing referral agreements, telehealth agreements, and innovative payment models to support the long-term success of the Hub and Spoke network, 

    • Expanding access to specialty services in a financially sustainable manner,  

    • Streamlining or centralizing functions to create cost savings,  

    • Improving the financial viability of Rural providers,  

    • Preserving independence of Rural providers,  

    • Keeping care local in Rural communities when possible and appropriate,  

    • Developing models of sustainability for rural cancer providers,  

    • Supporting long-term sustainability planning, including workforce development, tele-oncology integration, and alignment with Commission on Cancer (CoC) standards, and 

    • Implementing transformational models of care that makes Iowa a nationwide leader for positive Rural health outcomes.

    Applicants for this RFP will be proposed Hub sites. Hub sites will indicate proposed subcontractors (three sites) to serve as Spoke sites. Spoke sites may include, but are not limited to, community hospitals, critical access hospitals, rural health clinics, federally qualified health centers, or independent oncology practices. Hubs may have more than three Spokes, but only three will be considered in the evaluation of this procurement and only three will be supported financially through these funds unless prior written approval is given by the Agency to financially support additional Spokes. Hub and Spoke sites are expected to work collaboratively on this application, but ultimately the proposed Hub site will be responsible for application submission and leading the work of successful networks. The Hub site must provide copies of legally executed agreements with their proposed Spoke sites to demonstrate their agreement to work on this project collaboratively. These agreements must show evidence that the budget submitted in this application has been mutually agreed upon by the Hub and the Spoke.  

    Applicants will have the opportunity to apply for an approximate total five-year award of either $31,932,976 or $45,252,416. Applicants should follow the directions within this procurement carefully to apply for the amount of funds that most appropriately reflects the anticipated needs of their proposed Hub and Spoke network. In the event that the Applicant elects to apply for the higher dollar amount, the Applicant will be required to submit two work plans (one for both the lower and higher dollar amount) and demonstrate the greater impact that will result from the higher dollar amount project. The Agency reserves the right to award the lower dollar amount if this is best for achieving statewide coverage of cancer care in Rural Iowa, as determined solely by the Agency.  

    This procurement is supported by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling approximately $151,792,440 over a five-year period with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official view of, nor an endorsement, by CMS/HHS, or the U.S. Government.  

    This work implements a portion of the Combat Cancer: Prevent and Treat initiative of the Iowa Healthy Hometowns Project, funded through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Rural Health Transformation Program, opportunity #: CMS-RHT-26-001. 

     

    1.06 Schedule of Important Dates (All times and dates listed are local Iowa time.) 

    The following dates are set forth for informational purposes. The Agency reserves the right to change them. 

    EVENT 

    DATE 

    RFP Issued 

    February 27, 2026 

    Applicant’s Conference (Optional) 

    March 10, 2026 at 10:00 AM  

    Letter of Intent (Mandatory) 

    March 13, 2026 by 4:00 PM 

    Written Questions and Responses 

     

    Round 1 Questions Due: 

    Responses Posted By: 

    March 5, 2026, by 4:00 PM 

    March 12, 2026 

    Round 2 Questions Due: 

    Responses Posted By: 

    March 26, 2026, by 4:00 PM 

    April 2, 2026 

    Applications Due 

    April 9, 2026, by 12:00 PM  

    Applicant’s Oral Presentations, if requested by the Agency 

    On or around May 20, 2026 

    Post Notice of Intent to Award 

    On or around May 26, 2026 

     
Attachments
Attachments
DescriptionFile NameTypeSizeUpload Date
A - PHTHOCC26756 Combat Cancer Health Hubs RFPA - PHTHOCC26756 Combat Cancer Health Hubs RFP 1.pdfpdf649 KB02/27/2026 02:41 PM
B- Work Plan Formatting SpecificationsB- Work Plan Formatting Specifications.pdfpdf114 KB02/27/2026 02:38 PM
C. HHS Application Instructions Guidance (IowaGrants)C. HHS Application Instructions Guidance IowaGrants.pdfpdf2 MB02/25/2026 03:21 PM
D- Sample Draft Contract Combat Cancer HubD- Sample Draft Contract Combat Cancer Hub.pdfpdf391 KB02/27/2026 02:35 PM
E- Cancer Access Zip Code Statistical Modeling MapE- Cancer Access Zip Code Statistical Modeling Map.pdfpdf8 MB02/27/2026 02:39 PM
F. PHTHOCC26756 RFP Amendment 1 Combat Cancer Health Hub ProgramPHTHOCC26756 RFP Amendment 1 Combat Cancer Health Hub Program.pdfpdf96 KB03/12/2026 10:22 AM
Website Links
Website links
DescriptionLink
G. Bidders Conference Recording 3/10/2026 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZronqauVNw
A. IowaGrants Registration and Login Instructions https://dom.iowa.gov/state-government/grant-management
B. General Terms and Contingent Terms https://hhs.iowa.gov/initiatives/contract-terms
D. CMS Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program | CMS https://www.cms.gov/priorities/rural-health-transformation-rht-program/overview
E. Iowa Cancer Plan: Iowa Cancer Plan | Iowa Cancer Consortium https://canceriowa.org/Iowa-Cancer-Plan/
F. Iowa Cancer Registry: Cancer InFocus https://iowacancerregistry.shinyapps.io/shinyflex/
C. Iowa HHS Rural Health Transformation (RHT) | Health & Human Services https://hhs.iowa.gov/initiatives/healthy-hometowns-iowas-rural-health-transformation-plan
Questions
Submitted DateQuestionAnswer
Mar 2, 2026 3:33 PMCan funding be used to pay for the salary/benefits of any existing physicians or staff?Funds may not be used to support existing staff and physician salary/benefits for their existing work if they are currently funded by the facility or other sources. These funds may not be used to supplant other funding sources. Funds may be used for staff and physician salaries if they are doing new work to support this grant as long as the employee is not subject to a non-compete agreement and agrees to work as part of the Hub and Spoke Network for five years.
Mar 2, 2026 3:34 PMMay the applicants apply for less than $31,932,976 or $45,252,416?Required Budget 1 of $31,932,976 and Optional Budget 2 of $45,252,416 are the maximum total budget amounts for each project. Applicants may apply for less than these dollar amounts. If the project will exceed the maximum amount for Required Budget 1, then the Applicant will need to submit both required budget 1 and optional budget 2. However, if the applicant's budget will not exceed $31,932,976, then the applicant should only complete Required Budget 1 for the amount needed.
Mar 2, 2026 3:34 PMThe RFP indicates no more than $1 million can be spent on retrofitting or alterations for the entire Hub and Spoke network. Can this entire amount be spent at one Spoke site, if needed?Retrofitting space or making minor alterations to provide new or expanded care are subject to Iowa HHS and CMS approval. Retrofitting buildings that materially increase the value of the capital or useful life is not allowable. Construction or building expansion, purchasing or significantly retrofitting buildings, cosmetic upgrades or any other cost that materially increases the value of the capital or useful life as a direct cost is not allowable. The entire amount could be spent at one site, pending approval from funders.
Mar 3, 2026 2:47 PMIf an organization received funding through the first round of the Best and Brightest - Medical Equipment grant to purchase and install an external radiation treatment system, can that organization apply for funding as a hub through this grant, even if it is not guaranteed that the system will be installed and running by December 31, 2026? It would seem that if an organization is committed to using funding from another Healthy Hometowns grant, maybe an extension of that December 31, 2026 deadline could be offered to allow the organization to maximize the impact of these dollars?Hubs must be able to provide evidence that external radiation therapy can feasibly be provided by the Hub by December 31, 2026.
Mar 4, 2026 8:37 AMCan an FQHC or any health center apply for funding for Telehealth if they not only treat cancer patients but also non-cancer patients, where the telehealth could also be used to help with patient care not related only to cancer treatment? If so, would the funding only be applied to cancer telehealth services, meaning they would need to separate the non-cancer telehealth encounters and subtract that from the total cost of their telehealth usage? Public, private, nonprofit, for-profit, academic institutions or governmental entities that provide advanced cancer care are eligible applicants for this award. Hub and Spoke sites must all be able to provide Telehealth treatment. The funds for this award must be used for cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship care. Hub and Spoke sites must be able to track encounters for different services provided. This procurement is evaluated based on the ability of the applicant to provide cancer care. The Agency may consider allowing equipment to be used for other types of care that meet the Rural Health Transformation Grant goals. The applicant should clearly explain in the application their ability to provide cancer care.
Mar 4, 2026 9:51 AMCan chemotherapy medications be mixed at the Hub site and delivered to the Spoke site?Chemotherapy must be able to be provided to patients at Spoke sites. The mixing of chemotherapy medications can occur at Hub sites and delivered to Spoke sites as long as all applicable Federal, State, and local rules and regulations are met.
Mar 4, 2026 9:53 AMIs there a cap on how much of the funding can be used on purchasing equipment for either the Hub or Spoke sites?There is not a maximum amount that can be budgeted for equipment. All equipment purchases require prior approval from both the Agency and CMS.
Mar 4, 2026 2:51 PMThe RFP states that the Hub site and proposed Spoke sites must be located a maximum of 60 miles apart. One of our proposed spoke sites is 68 miles from the hub site but we have a 20+ year relationship with them. We have no tertiary site closer. Is there an option to extend the maximum mileage if all other criteria are met?Pursuant to REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL #PHTHOCC26756, Amendment #1 as posted on March 12, 2026, eligible spoke sites may be up to a maximum of 75 miles from the Hub site. The maximum distance is determined by entering both addresses into Google Maps and using the "driving distance" mileage.
Mar 4, 2026 2:59 PMIn the RFP, it states that the Hub site may only submit a maximum of one proposed Spoke site that is affiliated or managed by the same parent organization as the Hub or any other Spoke. In rural Iowa, regions are managed or affiliated by health systems which leads to multiple hospitals being affiliated with the same system. Is there an option to remove the requirement for only two sites to be managed or affiliated with the same parent organization?Iowa HHS will not remove the following requirement from the RFP, "The applicant (Hub site) may only submit a maximum of one proposed Spoke site that is affiliated or managed by the same parent organization as the Hub or any other Spoke. A maximum of two sites included within the proposed Hub and Spoke network can be affiliated or managed by the same parent organization."
Mar 5, 2026 4:44 PMIs the maximum 60 mile requirement between hub and spoke real distance or street distance?The maximum distance is determined by entering both addresses into Google Maps and using the "driving distance" mileage.
Mar 10, 2026 10:44 AMIs there any chance that the RFP will be amended to include sites outside of the 60 miles driving distance? Do you know why this distance was chosen?Pursuant to REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL #PHTHOCC26756, Amendment #1 as posted on March 12, 2026, eligible spoke sites may be up to a maximum of 75 miles from the Hub site. The maximum distance is determined by entering both addresses into Google Maps and using the "driving distance" mileage.
Mar 10, 2026 3:30 PMWill we be hearing anything from HHS or the TAP after submitting an LOI? If so, when can that be expected? Per Section 1.03 Eligibility Requirements: "Applicants must submit a letter of intent via email on or before March 13, 2026, to Stacey Hewitt [email protected] and cc Shannon Garland at [email protected], to be eligible to receive funds through this procurement. Spoke sites do not need to be identified within the letter of intent if they are not yet known at that time." A receipt acknowledgement will be sent from the Agency. The Agency will accept letters of intent for this procurement until 11:59 PM on March 13, 2026.
Mar 10, 2026 8:29 PMIs there any chance that the RFP will be amended to include sites outside of the 60 miles driving distance? Do you know why this distance was chosen?Pursuant to REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL #PHTHOCC26756, Amendment #1 as posted on March 12, 2026, eligible spoke sites may be up to a maximum of 75 miles from the Hub site. The maximum distance is determined by entering both addresses into Google Maps and using the "driving distance" mileage.
Mar 10, 2026 8:31 PMIs there any chance that the RFP will be amended to include sites outside of the 60 miles driving distance? Do you know why this distance was chosen?Pursuant to REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL #PHTHOCC26756, Amendment #1 as posted on March 12, 2026, eligible spoke sites may be up to a maximum of 75 miles from the Hub site. The maximum distance is determined by entering both addresses into Google Maps and using the "driving distance" mileage.
Mar 11, 2026 11:30 AMWhere can I find the LOI?The applicant is responsible for drafting the letter of intent, there is not an Agency provided template.
Mar 11, 2026 4:56 PMWhat specific documentation do you require to certify that a hub currently provides external radiation therapy at the proposed location?The Applicant can provide this information as a written attestation within the written portion of their application. No additional or separate documentation is required. The Agency reserves the right to use additional sources of information or data to confirm the information provided in the application.
Mar 12, 2026 8:53 AMAre text box responses truly limited to 500 characters?The Agency has increased the narrative text box limits. Please refer to the application within the iowagrants.gov system for the new character limits.
Mar 23, 2026 11:34 AMCan a hub also be a spoke? In other words, if we are a hub and have 3 spokes, are we also able to serve as a spoke for a different hub? Sites are not able to receive funds through this RFP as both a hub and as a spoke.
Mar 25, 2026 2:45 PMPage 37 of the RFP, under Anticipated Allowable Costs - Contractual Charges, states that allowed costs include “retrofitting space or making minor alterations to provide new or expanded care (limited to $1 Million maximum per Hub and Spoke network, to be distributed across Hub and Spoke sites and subject to funder approval)”. P.32 of RFP states: “Funds may be used for minor renovations or alterations following prior approval from the Agency and CMS. These funds shall be no more than 20% of the total Contract amount”. Please clarify if these statements refer to the same situation and verify the spending limit. For the purposes of completing budgets and project plans for this RFP, applicants should follow the $1 Million limit as described on page 37 of the RFP. The Agency may, at its sole discretion, allow additional funds to be used for this purpose following contract execution with the successful applicant if this is in the project's best interest and subject to all neccessary approvals and requirements. In that case, CMS terms required that budget amounts for this purpose do not exceed 20% of the total budget.
Mar 25, 2026 2:57 PMThe Combat Cancer Health Hub grant allows for minor renovations or alterations as an eligible budget expense. To better understand the scope of this allowable cost, we are seeking clarification on how Iowa HHS defines “minor renovations or alterations” for this program. The Best and Brightest Equipment Procurement Contract Negotiation form provides the following guidance regarding minor alterations or modifications: “Minor alterations or modifications means small modifications aimed at enhancing the functionality of the facility where the equipment will be installed. In general, minor modifications to an existing building footprint, existing infrastructure, and existing rooms within a facility would be considered minor building alterations or renovations. For example, renovations or retrofitting to convert underutilized, cost intensive spaces within existing health care facilities to serve as a site to install and use purchased equipment.” The form further provides examples of minor alterations, including but not limited to: •Interior modifications, such as installing or relocating interior walls or partitions •Lighting and electrical work, including upgrading or relocating fixtures or power sources •HVAC and plumbing adjustments, such as replacing vents or thermostats to improve climate control Would this definition and these examples also be applicable to the Combat Cancer Health Hub grant’s allowable costs related to minor renovations or alterations, when such modifications are necessary to support Health Hub programming, services, or equipment use? Minor Alterations and Renovations are a permissible use of funding for projects that include small modifications aimed at enhancing the functionality of the facility where equipment will be installed or where project activities will take place if they are clearly linked to this project’s goals and are necessary to fulfill the project’s outcomes. In general, minor modifications to an existing building footprint, existing infrastructure, and existing rooms within a facility are considered minor building alterations or renovations. These shall be reviewed and approved by CMS and the Agency prior to expending funds. All use of funds for minor alterations and renovations are subject to CMS and Agency approval. The Contractor will be required to provide attestation that funds are not supplanting in process or planned work and that the work does not materially increase the value of the building. The Contractor must also provide justification that the costs are not capital expenditures, and provide quotes, invoices or bid information as documentation, and ensure that all uses of funds for this purpose are allowable under 2 CFR 200 and all CMS grant requirements. Minor modifications cannot be new construction or building expansion, purchasing or significant retrofitting of buildings, cosmetic upgrades, or any other cost that materially increases the value of the capital or useful life. Funds cannot be used to supplant funding for in-process or planned for projects. Minor alterations cannot exceed 20% of the total contract amount.
Mar 25, 2026 2:59 PMAre vehicles an allowable expense – such as a van to transport patients between the spoke and hub?Vehicles are not an eligible expense under this RFP.
Mar 25, 2026 3:02 PMAre mobile screening vehicles allowable to provide services such as mobile mammograms?Vehicles are not an eligible expense under this RFP.