678003 - FY27 RFP COMPADM26006 Maternal Health Hub and Spoke Program
Funding Opportunity Details
Healthy Hometowns
Final Application Deadline: Sep 1, 2026 12:00 PM
Status Posted
Posted Date Jul 14, 2026 3:23 PM
Award Amount RangeNot Applicable
Project Dates 10/31/2026 - 09/30/2031
Award Announcement Date 10/16/2026
Categorical Area
Recurring Opportunity No
Program Officer Melanie Mathes
Phone (515) 377-0344 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) # COMPADM26006 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 maternal health Hub and Spoke sites. The purpose of developing Hub and Spoke sites is to sustain current maternal health care in Iowa and increase access to and availability of high-quality prenatal care, labor and delivery services, postpartum care, mental health support, and behavioral health support for those pregnant and postpartum 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 build networks that sustain and increase access to maternal healthcare, which includes maternal mental health care, in Rural Iowa. This work aims to keep care available locally, when appropriate, and increase the long-term sustainability of rural healthcare providers.
This procurement describes three options for organizations to apply to become part of a Hub and Spoke Network of care for maternal health in Iowa. Iowa HHS seeks to offer as much flexibility as possible through the application process to meet the differing needs of Iowa’s Rural areas. Through this procurement, Iowa HHS will select the most appropriate applicants with the most compelling project plans to sustain and improve maternal health care in Iowa. Applicants can apply for one of the following three options, with more details included below:
- Option 1 - Statewide Hub: Apply as a single organization committing to being a statewide hub for specific needed services as described below. The Agency anticipates applicants will be a Level III or Level IV Maternal Care Hospital.
- Option 2 - Expand Iowa’s Hub Capacity: Apply as a single organization committing to upscale from a Level I Maternal Care Hospital to a Level II Maternal Care Hospital. This organization will then serve as a Hub for higher-risk pregnancy care in the state.
- Option 3 – Support and Sustain Iowa’s Spokes: Apply as a network of Level I and Level II Maternal Care Hospitals committing to carry out specific strategies to support and maintain maternal health care across Iowa.
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 $209,040,063.71 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.
Iowa’s year two award for this program is anticipated by October 31, 2026 and budget amounts could change at that time. All activities presented within this RFP, including access to funds, are subject to CMS approval of the Agency’s year 2 budget.
This work implements a portion of the Hometown Connections Initiative of the Iowa Healthy Hometowns Project, funded through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Rural Health Transformation Program, opportunity #: CMS-RHT-26-001.
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
July 14, 2026
Applicant’s Conference (optional) July 22, 2026 at 10:00 am Letter of Intent (Mandatory) August 10, 2026 Written Questions and Responses
Round 1 Questions Due:
Responses Posted By:
July 27, 2026 by 12:00 pm (noon)
August 3, 2026
Round 2 Questions Due:
Responses Posted By:
August 17, 2026 by 12:00 pm (noon)
August 24, 2026
Applications Due
September 1, 2026, by 12:00 PM (noon)
Applicant’s Oral Presentations, if requested by the Agency
On or around October 12, 2026 Post Notice of Intent to Award
On or around October 16, 2026
Attachments
| Description | File Name | Type | Size | Upload Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A - RFP COMPADM26006 Maternal Health Hub and Spoke Program | A - RFP COMPADM26006 Maternal Health Hub and Spoke Program.pdf | 984 KB | 07/14/2026 08:46 AM | |
| B - Work Plan Formatting Specifications | B - Work Plan Formatting Specifications.pdf | 121 KB | 07/14/2026 08:48 AM | |
| C - HHS Application Forms Instruction Guidance (IowaGrants) | C - HHS Application Forms Instruction Guidance IowaGrants.pdf | 2 MB | 07/14/2026 08:26 AM | |
| D - Sample Draft Contract Maternal Health Hub and Spoke Program | D - Sample Draft Contract Maternal Health Hub and Spoke Program.pdf | 338 KB | 07/14/2026 08:51 AM | |
| E - Iowa HHS District Map | E - Iowa HHS District Map.pdf | 669 KB | 07/14/2026 08:53 AM | |
| F - RFP # COMPADM26006 Amendment 1 | F - RFP COMPADM26006 Amendment 1.pdf | 154 KB | 08/04/2026 07:50 AM |
Website links
| Description | Link |
|---|---|
| A. IowaGrants Registration and Login Instructions | https://dom.iowa.gov/state-government/grant-management |
| B. HHS General Terms and Contingent Terms for Contracts | https://hhs.iowa.gov/initiatives/contract-terms |
| C. Iowa HHS Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Health & Human Services | https://hhs.iowa.gov/initiatives/healthy-hometowns-iowas-rural-health-transformation-plan |
| D. CMS Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program CMS | https://www.cms.gov/initiatives/rural-health-transformation-rht-program/overview |
| Submitted Date | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 20, 2026 8:07 AM | Where do we find information on the Applicants conference or the Q&A's when they are posted. | Information on the Applicant's Conference and the posted Q&As can be found in RFP section 1.06 Schedule of Important Dates, B. Applicant's Conference and C. Written Questions and Reponses. |
| Jul 22, 2026 10:24 AM | For Option 3, is there any flexibility in the requirement that all members must be within 60 miles of at least two other members? Many of the rural hospitals in our geography have discontinued providing maternal health services, leaving only 1 other hospital within 60 highway miles. We would appreciate either some flexibility in this requirement, or the ability to measure distance "as the crow flies" rather than highway miles, to allow us to participate in this venture to help sustain maternity services at our organization. | Pursuant to Amendment 1, for Option 3, all members of the Network must be within 75 miles of at least two other members of the Network unless located in an Iowa border county. If located in an Iowa border county (defined as a county that touches a state other than Iowa on at least one side), that Network member must be within 60 miles of at least one other member of the Network. |
| Jul 22, 2026 11:58 AM | For Option 1: Statewide Hub, the bidder's conference referenced "The Hubs will also provide support (directly or via subcontract) with consenting procedures, technology set-up, scan and test result transfer for review, and other services needed to establish this type of care in Rural Iowa." Are all of these expectations for both the Maternal & Neonatal Care Hub and the Mental Health Service Line Hub or only where applicable (i.e. teleconsultation for mental health would likely not encounter consenting procedures and/or scan results.) | Providing spoke sites with assistance with consenting procedures, technology set-up, scan and test result transfer for review, and other services needed to establish consultation services in Rural Iowa is an expectation for both the Maternal & Neonatal Care Hub and the Mental Health Service Line Hub. The Agency anticipates that both lines of service would require consent from patients to share information with the consultating provider, both lines of service may require assistance with technology set-up at the spoke sites to allow for consultation services, and both lines of service may have requirements for transferring test results or screening results (such as a depression screening or lists of current medications in the case of the mental health service line) when providing consultation services. |
| Jul 23, 2026 11:17 AM | Hello, We are requesting clarification on Maternal Hub & Spoke Option 2: Mahaska Health will qualify in moving from a Level I to a Level II Maternal Care Hospital and we are very excited about this opportunity. Mahaska Health (Hub) does not have any Level 1 sites (Spokes) with OB/GYN coverage within a 60-mile radius to partner with. We envisioned working with our current Primary Care physicians who currently refer to our maternity care team for shared care from Bloomfield, Albia and Centerville. We have established these relationships from multiple hospitals, and they can be formalized but none of those sites deliver babies. 11 hospitals have closed their Labor & Delivery services around us and Ottumwa Regional is operating at a Level 1 with (50 deliveries a year) but they are listed as a Level II facility. Mahaska Health delivers more Wapello County babies than Ottumwa Regional with a population of 36,000. Mahaska Health is delivering babies from 35 counties in SE Iowa. In the RFP, the document states that "the hub should be capable of receiving referrals from neighboring Level 1 Maternal Care Hospitals for high-risk pregnant Iowans." In our situation, Mahaska Health would be receiving referrals from a Level II (Ottumwa) without OB/GYN coverage along with referrals from Bloomfield, Albia, Centerville and from many other hospitals. Would Iowa HHS consider changing the Level I referral criteria from Level I neighboring hospitals to 3 or more Primary Care Hospitals within 60 miles for shared care? If not, many of the only 50 Labor & Delivery sites Statewide will not apply due to this criterion. We greatly appreciate your consideration! Kind regards, Kevin DeRonde | Pursuant to Amendment 1, at the end of the five-year grant period, applicants for Option 2 should be capable of receiving referrals from neighboring Level I Maternal Care Hospitals, Level II Maternal Care Hospitals that need assistance with high risk patients, or other primary care providers that deliver prenatal or preconception care for high-risk pregnant Iowans. Section 3.02(11)(b) is amended to allow letters from Level I Maternal Care Hospitals, Level II Maternal Care Hospitals that need assistance with high risk patients, or other primary care providers that deliver prenatal or preconception care for high-risk pregnant Iowans. |
| Jul 27, 2026 9:50 AM | We are interested in this opportunity for FCMC. I would like a little more info on how the HUB and Spoke (we would be a Spoke) would be assigned. Do we need to find a HUB willing to take us on ourselves or will that be assigned from a list of those facilities that are applying for HUB status? Lisa Hintgen [email protected] 641-257-4308 | Iowa HHS will not assign Hubs through this procurement. For Option 2, the Applicant must identify a Level II and a Level III/Level IV Maternal Care Hospital to serve as their Hubs for transferring high risk patients as the applicant works toward achieving the goals outlined in this RFP.For Option 3, all members of the Network must have at least one designated Hub site listed in the application to indicate where high risk patients will be referred. Network members do not all need to have the same Hub(s), and identified Hubs do not necessarily need to be a member of the Applicant’s Network. Hubs designated through the application, but not a part of the Network, will not receive funds through this Procurement unless a specific need is identified and this funding is approved by the Agency. Hubs designated through Option 3 do not need to be located in Iowa, but only Iowa-based organizations are eligible for funds through this procurement. The intent of the designated Hubs that must be identified through the procurement is to demonstrate ability to transfer patients to a higher level of care if needed. |
| Jul 27, 2026 10:08 AM | Will there be a recording available from the Applicants Conference from July 22nd at 10 AM for 678003 - FY27 RFP Healthy Hometowns: Maternal Health Hub and Spoke Program? | A recording of the Applicant's Conference can be found on the HHS website at the following link: https://hhs.iowa.gov/about/funding-opportunities |
| Jul 27, 2026 10:19 AM | 1) If a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) successfully transitions from a Level I Maternal Care Hospital to a Level II Maternal Care Hospital through Option 2, does that change in maternal level designation have any impact on the hospital's Critical Access Hospital designation or eligibility for CAH reimbursement under Medicare? If not, can Iowa HHS explicitly confirm that participation in this program will not jeopardize CAH status? | Applicants should consult their legal counsel for assistance interpreting requirements for Critical Access Hospital designations. |
| Jul 27, 2026 10:20 AM | 2) What ongoing reimbursement mechanisms does Iowa HHS anticipate will sustain Level II services after grant funding expires? a. We discussed potentially looking into level 2 from the maternal standpoint, but not neonatal. How do we pull those numbers from the providers if an Antepartum unit would be a service needed/wanted from a geographical standpoint? | Pursuant to Section 2.03 of the RFP, for all Options, by the end of the five-year grant period, the work proposed through these applications should be financially sustainable without reliance on government funding. All proposed uses of funds should be considered short term. Sites should use these funds as assistance with start-up and network building, with plans to become sustainable and provide services and staffing long-term without future state or federal government fund investments. For Option 2 of this procurement, eligible applicants are Level 1 Maternal Care Hospitals. For Option 3 of this procurement, eligible applicants are Level I or Level II Maternal Care Hospitals. This procurement relates to maternal care. Iowa HHS is unaware of numbers that need to be provided for this application related to neonatal care. |
| Jul 27, 2026 10:20 AM | Not necessarily becoming full level II neonatal status, but becoming a step down unit for our transferred families. Getting them back home once their baby becomes a “feeder grower”. No longer requiring oxygen, but needing to get stronger from a nutritional standpoint? Is this an option? More specifically, can the tiers be customized? | For Option 2 of this procurement, eligible applicants are Level 1 Maternal Care Hospitals. For Option 3 of this procurement, eligible applicants are Level I or Level II Maternal Care Hospitals. This procurement relates to maternal care. |
| Jul 27, 2026 10:21 AM | What happens if birth volume declines during the grant, or is there a minimum volume requirement? | This procurement does not include a minimum volume requirement. |
| Jul 27, 2026 10:22 AM | If we are currently doing everything as Option 3 outlines, can we still apply for option 3 to sustain what we are currently doing? | Pursuant to Section 2.04(B), funds may not be used for supplanting existing State, local, tribal, or private funding of infrastructure or services, such as staff salaries. Activities funded through this grant must be new, an expansion of existing services, or done with evidence that shows all former sources of funding are not available. |