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669000 - FY27 RFP PHTHORC27001 for Iowa Rural Residency Program
Funding Opportunity Details
Rural, Community Health and Primary Care
Final Application Deadline: Aug 24, 2026 4:00 PM
Status Posted
Posted Date Jul 24, 2026 11:40 AM
Award Amount RangeNot Applicable
Project Dates 11/01/2026 - 08/31/2032
Award Announcement Date 09/24/2026
Categorical Area
Recurring Opportunity No
Program Officer Cristie Duric
Phone (515) 281-6801 x
Email [email protected]
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:
Purpose
The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) # PHTHORC27001 is to solicit applications that will enable the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (referred to as Agency) to select the most qualified applicant to develop a rural residency program within the State of Iowa. This initiative is intended to strengthen healthcare workforce capacity in rural communities by supporting the planning, design, and initial implementation of ACGME‑accredited residency programs.
If Applicant is not a current contractor with the Agency, a completed W-9 form will be requested by the Agency upon award of a contract.
Schedule of Important Dates
The following dates are set forth for informational purposes. The Agency reserves the right to modify these dates at its sole discretion.
EVENT
DATE
RFP Issued
July 24, 2026
Written Questions and Responses
Round 1 Questions Due:
Responses Posted By:
July 30, 2026
August 7, 2026
Final Questions Due:
Responses Posted By:
August 14, 2026
August 19, 2026
Applications Due
August 24, 2026,
by 4:00 PM Local Iowa Time
Post Notice of Intent to Award
On or about: September 24, 2026
| Description | File Name | Type | Size | Upload Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. RFP PHTHORC27001 Iowa Rural Residency Program | A. RFP PHTHORC27001 Iowa Rural Residency Program.pdf | 8 MB | 07/23/2026 03:58 PM | |
| B. HHS Application Instructions Guidance IowaGrants | B. HHS Application Instructions Guidance IowaGrants.pdf | 2 MB | 06/24/2026 07:49 AM | |
| C. RFP PHTHORC27001 Iowa Rural Residency Program Draft Contract | C. RFP PHTHORC27001 Iowa Rural Residency Program Draft Contract.pdf | 4 MB | 07/23/2026 04:01 PM | |
| D. RFP PHTHORC27001 Iowa Rural Residency Program Draft Score Tool | D. RFP PHTHORC27001 Iowa Rural Residency Program Draft Score Tool.pdf | 1 MB | 07/23/2026 04:03 PM | |
| E. RFP PHTHORC27001 Example of Applicant Scenarios | E. RFP PHTHORC27001 Example of Applicant Scenarios.pdf | 860 KB | 06/24/2026 07:37 AM | |
| F. RFP PHTHORC27001 Sample Budget | F. RFP PHTHORC27001 Sample Budget.pdf | 572 KB | 06/24/2026 07:38 AM |
| Description | Link |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| C. Notice of Intent to Award | https://hhs.iowa.gov/about/funding-opportunities/notice-intent-award |
| D. Rural Residency Planning and Development TA Program | https://www.hrsa.gov/rural-health/grants/rural-health-research-policy/rrpd |
| E. Rural Graduate Medical Education | http://www.ruralgme.org |
| F. Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer | https://data.hrsa.gov/topics/rural-health/rural-health-eligibility |
| Submitted Date | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 29, 2026 3:17 PM | The requirement of 50% of the total residency training time to take place at a training site that meets the FORHP rural definition will likely be a barrier to achieving ACGME approval for an OB/Gyn residency program. Can the minimum training in a rural setting be altered? For example, the challenge of meeting the 200 vaginal delivery requirement, if residents spend a significant portion of their training in rural settings will be difficult to overcome. If UnityPoint eventually has a 4-resident-per-year program (16 residents at full complement): • 200 vaginal deliveries × 4 graduating residents = ~800 vaginal deliveries annually needed for the graduating class alone. • 145 C-sections × 4 graduating residents = ~580 C-sections annually. • Additional volume is needed because cases are shared across all four resident classes, fellows, and faculty teaching activities. | Not under this RFP. |
| Jul 29, 2026 3:40 PM | Regarding eligibility requirements, Section 1.03, page 5 As we begin to assess which locations would be viable based on the application’s criteria and the patient volumes set forth in the ACGME program requirements, if the 50% threshold of training in a rural setting does not allow the resident to meet the required patient volumes, what is the plan to ensure residents receive adequate training and the program remains accredited? | The RFP requires applicants to identify and establish rural clinical training sites that meet the FORHP rural definition and ensure that more than 50% of total resident training time occurs at rural sites. If a rural site does not provide sufficient patient volume to meet ACGME minimums, the RFP outlines several mechanisms that ensure the program can still deliver adequate training and maintain accreditation: 1) Multiple Rural Training Sites Must Be Identified and Verified. This requirement inherently allows for multiple rural sites. 2) Applicants must secure Letters of Agreement documenting committed resources, training capacity, and faculty/supervision availability. If one rural site cannot meet volume needs, LOAs from additional rural partners ensure the program can distribute rotations to sites with sufficient capacity. 3) Year 1 requires applicants to begin curriculum development and rural rotation design, which provides planning flexibility to adjust where training time occurs based on patient volume availability. 4) The RFP requires applicants to develop a risk management framework identifying barriers that may impede progress toward establishing the program—including barriers related to clinical volume—and plan mitigation strategies. This explicitly supports contingency planning if rural sites lack adequate volume. 5) By Year 2, applicants must complete and submit all ACGME documentation, including final verification of rural training site capacity. Programs must therefore demonstrate that rotation design and site selection ensure all ACGME patient‑volume expectations are achievable. |
| Jul 29, 2026 3:49 PM | Regarding eligibility requirements, Section 1.03, page 5 The requirement of 50% of the total residency training time to take place at a training site that meets the FORHP rural definition will likely be a barrier to achieving ACGME approval for an OB/Gyn residency program. Can the minimum training in a rural setting be altered? For example, the challenge of meeting the 200 vaginal delivery requirement, if residents spend a significant portion of their training in rural settings will be difficult to overcome. If UnityPoint eventually has a 4-resident-per-year program (16 residents at full complement): • 200 vaginal deliveries × 4 graduating residents = ~800 vaginal deliveries annually needed for the graduating class alone. • 145 C-sections × 4 graduating residents = ~580 C-sections annually. • Additional volume is needed because cases are shared across all four resident classes, fellows, and faculty teaching activities. | Not under this RFP. |
| Jul 30, 2026 11:10 AM | Regarding eligibility requirements, Section 1.03, page 5 In order to meet the 50% threshold, can this be accomplished through a residency training curriculum that offers rotations across multiple rural sites? | Yes. |
| Jul 30, 2026 12:45 PM | Regarding eligibility requirements, Section 1.03, page 5 Given the ACGME requirements for numbers of deliveries, surgeries, and time with subspecialists, would Iowa HHS consider decreasing the requirement to 20% of time in a rural location? If not, what is the lowest allowable time you would consider for this grant? | Not under this RFP. |
| Jul 30, 2026 12:45 PM | Regarding eligibility requirements, Section 1.03 page 5 Given available infrastructure resources in Polk County, would Iowa HHS consider changing the community population requirements or the ability to have training at that location? For example, the program is physically located in Polk County but training occurs in counties that meet the FORHP rural definition. | Polk County is eligible under the RFP. The RFP exclusion applies only to counties that are both >150,000 population and host a Regents university campus (Johnson County). Training can occur in rural counties even if the core program sits in Polk County. |
| Jul 30, 2026 12:46 PM | Regarding eligibility requirements, Section 1.03 page 5 In Section 1.03, you note the following “• Geographic Restrictions: The physical location of the residency program and all training sites proposed in the application must not be located in any Iowa county with a population of 150,000 or more based on the most recent federal decennial census, and in which the main campus of an institution of higher learning governed by the State Board of Regents is located. (Counties currently meeting this definition include Johnson County) • At least 50 percent of total resident training time must occur at training sites that meet the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) rural definition.” Bullet one seems to contradict bullet two. If the Geographic Restriction states that “all training sites” must not be located in any county with more 150,00 population, how can the second bullet allow for 50% training at a site that does not meet FORHP? Can you clarify if any training can take place at a training site that does not meet the FORHP rural definition? | All residency program sites and all proposed training locations must be situated in Iowa counties with populations below 150,000 based on the most recent federal decennial census and must not be located in counties that contain the main campus of any institution of higher learning governed by the State Board of Regents. (Currently, Johnson County meets both criteria and is therefore ineligible.) Both conditions must be met simultaneously; they are not optional or either/or requirements. |