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Maryland Health Care Commission Announces $6.3 Million in Grant Funding to Expand Access to Primary Care in Rural Maryland
The Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC) released a Request for Applications (RFA) under the Maryland Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) for a funding opportunity that supports expanding access to primary care in designated rural areas of the State. Approximately $6.3 million is now available to eligible organizations to establish or expand primary care in rural Maryland. The grant will focus on strengthening operational capacity and improving access to high-quality, whole-person care, including preventive care services, chronic disease management, and reduced hospital utilization.
The MHCC will competitively award up to 15 one-year grants with a maximum award of $1.6 million. Funding will strengthen primary care infrastructure in rural communities facing provider shortages and limited or delayed access to primary care.
“Access to primary care is foundational to a strong health care system, yet many rural communities continue to face barriers to timely, accessible, high-quality primary care,” said Dr. Douglas Jacobs, MHCC’s Executive Director. “This funding opportunity aims to break down these barriers with new or expanded rural primary care practices and approaches to care delivery so that rural Marylanders have more ready access to the primary care they deserve.”
Applications will be evaluated based on organizational experience and capacity, understanding of community needs in the target rural areas, proposed strategies to improve access to primary care, and financial feasibility and sustainability. Eligible applicants include new or existing primary care practices, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and other organizations that are prepared to sponsor an advanced primary care practice. Applications are due to MHCC by Monday, June 1, 2026.
The Maryland RHTP is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award to the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) totaling $168,180,837.61 with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents of this RFA are of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CMS/HHS, or the U.S. Government. The MDH has delegated Maryland RHTP funding to MHCC for this RFA.
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