California CalRHT Workforce Development Recruitment and Retention

California Rural Health Transformation funding for rural-serving organizations to recruit and retain health professionals at qualifying rural sites.

Funding$54.17 million available; up to $1 million per facility or $2 million per consortium, collaborative, or system

DeadlineAugust 31, 2026 at 3:00 PM PT

Last verifiedAugust 28, 2026

Required next actionComplete the WDRR application, organizational and site eligibility documentation, high-level budget, and work plan and submit through the CalRHT portal by August 31, 2026 at 3:00 PM PT for Budget Period 1; later applications are not eligible for Budget Period 1 and may only be considered for Budget Period 2.

Broad Eligibility

Eligible rural-serving organizations include rural hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals, FQHCs and Look-Alikes, Rural Health Clinics, Tribal clinics and Native American health centers, other comprehensive community health clinics, healthcare districts, and qualifying regional collaborations or systems serving HRSA-defined rural sites.

Atlas Analysis

Strong workforce opportunity for rural providers with identifiable recruitment or retention gaps. The grant is primarily workforce-focused rather than technology-focused, so Atlas would prioritize organizations where staffing shortages directly constrain access to primary, maternal, nursing, or community-based care.

California HCAI is accepting applications for the CalRHT Workforce Development Recruitment and Retention Program. The organizational grant program supports recruitment and retention bonuses, selected training and preceptor activities, shared regional staffing models, and coordination infrastructure for qualifying rural healthcare organizations.

The program prioritizes primary care, maternity care, nursing, community-based direct care, and other health professions needed to stabilize rural access.

Source verificationOfficial government source · hcai.ca.govAtlas last verified this record August 28, 2026. Always use the funder's current application materials, amendments and portal instructions as the controlling source.View source and application materials ↗