Utah RHTP RISE 2.5 — Tier 4 Rural Nursing Home and Skilled Nursing Facility Workforce Subawards
Utah Health Care Association (UHCA) describes an applicant-facing subaward under Utah’s Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), RISE Initiative 2.5 Recruit & Retain, to help eligible rural nursing homes and standalone skilled nursing facilities recruit and retain direct-care clinical staff. This downstream subaward opportunity is distinct from the Utah Department of Health and Human Services’ earlier, now-closed August 4, 2026 competition to select fiscal administrators.
Funding
UHCA lists a $2,200,000 total Tier 4 subaward pool and a $98,500 minimum funding floor per successfully funded facility. The $2,200,000 figure is the overall subaward pool, not an individual facility award. A maximum individual facility award has not been established from the currently available downstream application materials. Utah’s original upstream RFGA lists a different statewide Tier 4 allocation ($2,364,000); applicants should rely on UHCA’s controlling downstream award documents when issued to resolve the final pool and award terms.
Applicant eligibility
UHCA identifies licensed standalone skilled nursing facilities and nursing homes physically located in one of Utah’s 25 rural counties (excluding Davis, Salt Lake, Utah, and Weber), with independent Medicare and/or Medicaid billing. Clinical providers supported through applicable incentives must deliver at least 15 hours of direct patient care weekly in rural Utah.
Eligible activities and conditions
Described eligible uses include recruitment and candidate marketing, selected signing and relocation incentives, short-term local housing, professional upskilling, childcare support, and pooled backup clinical staffing. Individual-level incentives may require a five-year rural service obligation with a prorated repayment provision for early departure; broader facility infrastructure options may not trigger that individual commitment. All final allowable costs, award-specific conditions, matching requirements, application documentation, and reporting obligations must be checked against UHCA’s actual subaward instructions.
Application status and deadline
UHCA’s current program page states that applications were expected in September 2026 and a deadline in October 2026, but gives no exact day or time; the visible application section says ‘link coming soon’. The actual submission portal, complete application package, and current open/closed status have not been independently confirmed. Do not treat the older August 4, 2026 date on the Utah DHHS RISE 2.5 fiscal-administrator RFGA as the deadline for Tier 4 nursing facility subawards. No application should be presumed open until UHCA confirms availability.
Official sources
UHCA Tier 4 subaward information; Utah DHHS RISE 2.5 upstream RFGA, URHTP-2796-2026. Research checked October 15, 2026.