The Kansas Health Institute has produced a series of briefs examining the role the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) plays in supporting rural communities in Kansas and across the U.S.
Funding Rural Health
The Role and Reach of Federal Support
4 Min Read
Nov 18, 2025
By
Shelby C. Rowell, M.P.A., Wyatt J. Beckman, M.P.H., Viktoria Sterkhova, M.P.H.
Issue Brief 1:
The Role of the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy in Supporting Communities
This brief describes the role, organizational structure and application processes for FORHP.
Housed within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), FORHP was established in statute under Section 711 of the Social Security Act and has coordinated rural activities within HHS for over 30 years. FORHP provides funding to address the specific challenges faced by rural communities — including those in Kansas, where 93 of the state’s 105 counties are designated as “fully rural” by FORHP. These efforts are vital, as rural areas often face geographic isolation, limited health care workforce, higher poverty and unemployment rates, and increased mortality from conditions such as heart disease, cancer and chronic lower respiratory disease. Through targeted grant opportunities, FORHP works to strengthen health care capacity at both the state and local levels to improve and stabilize rural health systems.
Issue Brief 2:
Funding Rural Health: Insights From FORHP Grant Awards Nationwide and in Kansas
This brief describes the distribution of funding by primary focus area and rurality across the U.S. and in Kansas.
Between 2019 and 2023, a period shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic, FORHP distributed 4,088 awards across 75 programs, totaling $2.32 billion in funding across all 50 states. While all FORHP funding is designed to support rural community health, individual grant programs vary in their specific focus, requirements and size. In many cases, the best positioned applicants or recipients for some FORHP grants — such as those focused on research or statewide technical assistance — tend to be in cities and urban areas. Where small, rural-based organizations do meet the requirements of specific grant opportunities, they may face capacity challenges in completing the grant application or submitting a competitive grant application. Nationally, most FORHP awards went to lead recipients located in counties considered by FORHP to be fully rural (53.0 percent). Most funding (65.1 percent) went to lead recipients in counties not considered fully rural — often for larger scale programs, such as national information dissemination, research or technical assistance.
Kansas FORHP Grant Spotlights
Three fact sheets spotlight FORHP programs in Kansas.
Kansas FORHP Grant Spotlight: Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program
The Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program (Flex Program) from FORHP supports critical access hospitals (CAHs) nationwide by enhancing quality of care, improving financial and operational performance, and strengthening rural emergency management service systems. Kansas currently has 82 CAHs, one of the highest numbers in the country.
Kansas FORHP Grant Spotlight: Rural Health Care Services Outreach Program
The Rural Health Care Services Outreach Program from FORHP supports rural communities in expanding access to care by funding innovative, evidence-based projects that address local health needs. It promotes collaboration among health care providers and community organizations to improve service delivery, health outcomes and sustainability of care in rural areas.
Kansas FORHP Grant Spotlight: Rural Communities Opioid Response Program
The Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) from FORHP currently funds 12 distinct grant programs that aim to reduce morbidity and mortality resulting from substance use disorder by increasing capacity and expanding access to care and services within rural areas. Each grant program has its own identified purpose, goals and grant application requirements, which can have an effect on the kinds of entities that are eligible for each grant.
Access these publications, along with a technical note, in the Documents & Downloads section.
About Kansas Health Institute
The Kansas Health Institute supports effective policymaking through nonpartisan research, education and engagement. KHI believes evidence-based information, objective analysis and civil dialogue enable policy leaders to be champions for a healthier Kansas. Established in 1995 with a multiyear grant from the Kansas Health Foundation, KHI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational organization based in Topeka.