UIHC release
04/28/26
The University of Iowa plans to expand its support of rural hospitals across Iowa with $12 million awarded over five years by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for two projects included in its Healthy Hometowns initiative.
Healthy Hometowns is the state’s submission to the Rural Health Transformation Program, a federal funding initiative managed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Iowa was recently awarded $209 million for the first year of the program, making it the first state to receive funding for this federal initiative.
University of Iowa Health Care was awarded requests for proposals for “Health Hubs Technical Assistance Provider” and, in collaboration with the UI College of Public Health, “Combat Cancer Technical Assistance Provider.” These two critical components of the Healthy Hometowns initiative will help Iowa HHS build a hub-and-spoke network model aimed at expanding support of hospitals statewide and keeping care local for Iowans in rural communities.
The Health Hubs technical assistance program will support organizations in designing and implementing health hub-and-spoke models with the goal of improving access, quality, and long-term viability of rural health care across the state. Priority areas outlined in the proposal include:
- Maternal and child health
- Cancer
- Cardiovascular
- Mental and behavioral health
- Chronic disease prevention and management
The Combat Cancer program, co-led by the UI College of Public Health and UI Health Care, will support development of a coordinated, statewide cancer ecosystem that improves early detection, strengthens rural partnerships, and supports access to cancer care across Iowa. This expands UI Health Care’s existing work supporting hospitals across the state through the I-CAN network and county-level prevention initiatives through the University of Iowa Cancer Partnership.
The University of Iowa was awarded $6 million for each initiative. In collaboration with rural hospitals, providers, and community‑based organizations, the university will promptly establish work groups to ensure robust engagement with rural partners as the project gets underway. More information will be shared over the coming months as progress toward goals is made.