Funding Opportunity Now Available: Adopt Shared Services Consortiums

This RFGA is the sixth public solicitation of several competitive grants being released by AHCCCS under the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP).  

In accordance with A.R.S. § 41-2701 through 41-2702, competitive sealed Applications for the services specified will be received by AHCCCS online in the State of Arizona’s online Grant system, EUNA (formerly eCivis).? Applications received by the due date and time will be opened. The name of each Applicant will be publicly available. Applications must be submitted in the online grant system on or prior to the date and time indicated. Late Applications will not be considered. It is the responsibility of the Applicant to routinely check the online grant system for Solicitation/Grant Amendments. Additional instructions for preparing an application are included with this solicitation. No extension or grace period will be given for delays or incomplete proposals caused by internet connectivity problems, file uploading difficulties, or misunderstanding of the submission requirements.? 

With seventy-two (72) hours prior notice, persons with disabilities may request special accommodations such as interpreters, alternative formats, or assistance with physical accessibility. Such requests must be addressed to the assigned Procurement Officer Named below. 

APPLICANTS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO CAREFULLY READ THE ENTIRE RFGA.? 

The Arizona RHTP is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as a part of a financial assistance award totaling $166,988,955.92 with 100% by CMS/HHS. The contents of this RFGA are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor endorsement, by CMS/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

Adopt Shared Services Consortiums

OVERVIEW 

The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) hereby issues this Request for Grant Applications (RFGA) for the support of the Adopt Shared Services Consortiums, under the Arizona RHTP. 

This competitive grant opportunity is funded through the CMS RHTP and is intended to support the development and implementation of shared service models that reduce operational costs, eliminate duplication, and strengthen the collective capacity of rural healthcare organizations across rural and rural Tribal communities in Arizona. Funded projects will support: 

• Shared staffing models, including joint employment arrangements, traveling clinician programs, shared administrative personnel, and locum tenens  

• Shared training programs, including joint continuing education, simulation training centers, competency development, and cross-training  

• Shared data systems, including joint IT infrastructure, shared billing/coding services, centralized data analytics, and common scheduling platforms  

• Shared facilities, including co-located service hubs, shared specialty clinic space, joint equipment utilization, and collaborative care sites 

• Shared compliance functions, including shared compliance officers, joint audit preparation, and coordinated regulatory reporting  

These investments are intended to build and strengthen collaboration among rural health facilities and other rural providers to operate more efficiently, promote the adoption of shared service models, co-located community hubs, and integrated rural networks, and enhance care coordination, reduce duplication, and promote long-term financial viability. 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Program Background 

The Arizona RHTP is intended to strengthen healthcare access, workforce capacity, provider sustainability, and population health outcomes across rural communities throughout Arizona.  The Arizona RHTP targets approximately 800,000 rural Arizonans, representing ~11% of the State’s population, through coordinated initiatives addressing rural health workforce capacity, health care access, provider sustainability, and priority chronic disease management and prevention. 

This statewide initiative is a five-year, federally funded program designed to improve healthcare access and outcomes across rural and rural Tribal communities. Continuation funding across the five-year Period of Performance is contingent upon annual CMS review and approval of a Non-Competing Continuation (NCC) application, including applicable rescoring or continuation award recalculation conducted by CMS.    

Purpose of Adopt Shared Services Consortiums 

Within the Making Rural Healthcare Resilient Initiative, the Adopt Shared Services Consortiums sub-initiative includes funding to support the development and implementation of shared service models that reduce operational costs, eliminate duplication, and strengthen the collective capacity of rural healthcare organizations. By pooling resources and expertise, rural providers can achieve economies of scale typically available only to larger health systems. 

The Adopt Shared Services Consortiums Initiative aims to foster integration and collaboration among healthcare providers, social service organizations, and community partners to enhance care coordination, reduce duplication, and promote long-term financial viability across Arizona's rural communities. 

Specifically, this initiative aims to: 

• Implement shared staffing, training, data systems, and facilities to improve operational efficiency and sustainability in low-population and Tribal areas  

• Institutionalize shared infrastructure, including IT, billing, and HR services, beyond the grant term, aligned with AHCCCS and ADHS reimbursement modernization efforts  

The anticipated period of performance under this RFGA is from the award date through October 30, 2026, corresponding to Budget Period 1 of the Arizona RHTP.