AZ RHTP RURAL EDUCATION & TRAINING EXPANSION Uni

Program Overview The Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) is pleased to announce the launch of the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP). This initiative is a strategic response to meeting Arizona's health workforce needs in rural and tribal communities. With the healthcare sector projected to add 76,000 jobs by 2030, the RHTP serves as a cornerstone for economic mobility and rural resilience. Our mission is to transform rural healthcare delivery through targeted workforce expansion and system coordination. This grant program specifically prioritizes partnering with public universities to bolster healthcare professions in rural and tribal communities. Program Goals By providing funding to Arizona's universities, OEO aims to:
- Expand Training Capacity-Increase the number of rural learners entering high demand health occupations in rural communities, including allied health professions, Graduate Medical Education (GME), accelerated physician training models, and health professions with serious specialty shortage designations. - Bridge Geographic Gaps - Facilitate clinical rotations and residencies in rural and tribal isolated areas where specialized care is currently scarce; and - Ensure Long-Term Workforce Retention - Strengthen Arizona's rural health workforce by securing five-year service commitments from graduates who will practice in rural communities. Participating universities will provide career navigation and employment support to connect learners with rural healthcare opportunities and encourage long-term placement. This strategy can be implemented through two complementary pathways:
- Subsidized Learners: Students who receive financial support commit to fulfilling a five-year service obligation in eligible rural Arizona healthcare positions. - Non-Subsidized Learners: Students who do not receive financial support participate in targeted career services and employment outreach to increase awareness of and access to rural healthcare career opportunities, promoting voluntary placement in rural communities. We invite Arizona public universities to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) to participate in this transformative annual investment in our state's future. While this request specifically seeks detailed plans and budget for Year 1 implementation, OEO is also open to reviewing proposals that incorporate a secondary Year 2 option to ensure project sustainability and continued growth. If the proposal incorporates a Year 2 option please also submit a separate Year 2 budget and implementation plan.
- Target Population: All activities must focus on healthcare professions in rural and tribal communities. Rurality is defined by Arizona's HRSA census tracts. Reference the ADHS GIS Map at: https://adhsgis.maps.arcgis.com. - Priority Impact: Successful applications must emphasize the ability to influence at least one of the following measurements: - Number of rural learners trained. - Number of workers placed in rural health systems. - Number of workers retained in rural health systems.