Physician in the Loop
For youSign in
Rural Health Transformation Program tracker › Iowa

Iowa

Rural Health Transformation Program
Program
Iowa
First-year award
$209,040,064 (CMS)
Lead agency
Iowa Department of Health and Human Services
Program page
hhs.iowa.gov/initiatives/healthy-hometowns-iowas-rural-health-transformation-plan
Contact
The program office's contact details
Where the plan names technology
Iowa's plan, Healthy Hometowns, has a Health Information Exchange Initiative and says "Iowa will implement telehealth, remote glucose monitoring, and the Health Information Exchange Initiative"; telehealth infrastructure, "including hardware, software licenses, and cybersecurity upgrades," is also supported. The plan says "Facilities may invest in state-of-the-art artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as for diagnosis, treatment, or revenue cycle management under Hometown Connections," and its cancer initiative may pay for "AI-enabled diagnostic tools."
AI named in the plan
Yes
Funding rounds
  • Open Healthy Hometowns Cardiovascular Health Hub Program (RFP COMPADM26007); approximately $33,361,333 for an undetermined number of awards in the first contract year; opened Sept 21, 2026, deadline Nov 17, 2026; eligible: Public, private, nonprofit, for-profit, academic institutions or governmental entities, with hub and spoke sites in rural Iowa; a letter of intent is mandatory by Oct. 19, 2026
  • Closed Communities of Care Co-Location Program (RFP COMPADM26005); approximately $39,558,631 for approximately seven (7) awards in the first contract year; opened Jul 14, 2026, deadline Sept 1, 2026; eligible: Public, private, nonprofit, for-profit, academic institutions or governmental entities that provide health or health-related social needs services, applying as the lead of a co-location site in a rural area
  • Closed Maternal Health Hub and Spoke Program (RFP COMPADM26006); approximately $38,591,059 in the first contract year; opened Jul 14, 2026, deadline Sept 1, 2026; eligible: Depending on the option, a statewide hub organization in Iowa, a Level I maternal care hospital in rural Iowa, or Level I or Level II maternal care hospitals in rural hub and spoke networks
  • Closed Mobile Integrated Health (RFP PHTHOET27001); approximately $5,049,975 for approximately seven (7) awards in the first contract year; opened Jul 14, 2026, deadline Sept 1, 2026; eligible: Entities "that provide Emergency Medical Services or community-based clinical services" and currently provide Iowa authorized EMS services
  • Closed High-Risk OB and Neonatal Transport (RFP PHTHOET27002); approximately $6,000,000 for approximately three (3) awards in the first contract year; opened Jul 14, 2026, deadline Sept 1, 2026; eligible: Applicants that are currently an Iowa Authorized EMS Transport Service
  • Upcoming School Based Services (notice of intent to release RFP MEDIOMC26023); $16,953,750 in Year 2 for approximately 25 awards
Awards
  • Jun 18, 2026: to 5 Combat Cancer Health Hub Program awardees, 58 workforce recruitment awardees and 42 medical equipment awardees. Awards for the Combat Cancer Health Hub Program, whose hub-and-spoke networks support "partnerships, telehealth, workforce recruitment, equipment purchases," and for the Best and Brightest workforce recruitment and medical equipment initiatives. The release states no dollar amounts for these awards and names no AI project. Announcement
  • Jan 30, 2026: more than $78.6 million. First awards under Healthy Hometowns: an estimated $66,002,161.76 for medical equipment, including imaging systems and robotic surgical systems, and $12,600,000.00 for recruiting providers to rural Iowa. Iowa HHS posted the lists of apparent successful bidders. Announcement
Next
An Aug. 27, 2026 presentation to the Iowa HHS Council lists obligated funds of $209,040,064 as of Aug. 24, 2026, 13 requests for proposals released in Year 1 and 269 contracts awarded. It shows $11,812,156 obligated for the Health Information Exchange initiative and names Converge Health LLC under "Health Information Exchange" in its overview of Year 1. It gives Oct. 15, 2026 as the anticipated notice of the Year 2 funding amount and Oct. 31, 2026 as the start of Year 2, and says awards for most of the Year 2 procurements are expected between Oct. 15 and Nov. 20, 2026; its Year 2 amounts are "pending CMS approval of Year 2 budget." Notices of intent to award for the four rounds that closed Sept. 1 are due "on or around October 16, 2026." Iowa HHS posts the program's requests for proposals on its funding opportunities page and takes sign-ups for updates through a form on its program page.
Sources: CMS, first-year awards, Iowa HHS, Healthy Hometowns program page, Iowa's project narrative, Iowa HHS funding opportunities, RFP COMPADM26007, Cardiovascular Health Hub Program, RFP COMPADM26005, Communities of Care Co-Location Program, RFP COMPADM26006, Maternal Health Hub and Spoke Program, RFP PHTHOET27001, Mobile Integrated Health, RFP PHTHOET27002, High-Risk OB and Neonatal Transport, Notice of intent to release, School Based Services, Governor's office, first awards, Iowa HHS, June 18 awards, Iowa HHS Council presentation, Aug. 27, 2026
Checked against its sources

What the money can pay for: What does the Rural Health Transformation Program pay for?.

All statesIowa on the law map