# Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program Grants

SHIP grants provide funding to small rural hospitals for projects that improve quality reporting, develop shared savings/ACO infrastructure, or enhance financial operations. Eligible facilities must have 49 or fewer beds and be located in rural areas. The California State Office of Rural Health collects applications for HRSA funding under Social Security Act Section 1820(8)(3). Awards are based on federal appropriations, typically for one year, with renewal available upon satisfactory performance.

## Key facts

- Status: Closed
- Type: GRANT
- Issued by: California State Office of Rural Health (CalSORH) / HRSA (California)
- Posted: 2025-12-01
- Application due: 2026-01-16
- Eligible applicants: 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Non-federal government hospitals
- How to apply: Electronic submission via CalSORH's online portal: https://hcai.ca.gov/workforce/financial-assistance/grants/ship/
- Funding source: state-funded, not RHTP
- Official source: https://hcai.ca.gov/workforce/financial-assistance/grants/ship/

## Eligibility

Eligible applicants are small non-federal, short-term, general acute care hospitals with 49 or fewer beds situated in rural areas of California. Applications must be submitted to CalSORH, which then consolidates and submits to HRSA. Submission requires the hospital's Medicare Cost Report Worksheet S-3 (for PPS hospitals only).

## Requirements

Applicants must provide evidence of eligibility, including current bed count and rural location. Required documentation includes hospital Medicare Cost Report Worksheet S-3 for PPS hospitals. Applications must address proposed activities aligning with SHIP priorities such as quality improvement, financial operations enhancement, or ACO infrastructure development.

## Required attachments

- Medicare Cost Report Worksheet S-3 (PPS hospitals only)
- Evidence of rural location
- Documentation of bed count

## Application package and source documents

- [CA - 2025 - Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program Grants Application Cycle: CLOSED (Source listing page)](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/e9ce343e-189e-409a-a382-bf5b1217fb32/file) (primary) — official: https://hcai.ca.gov/workforce/financial-assistance/grants/ship/
- [CA - 2026 - Overview of Rural Hospitals in California (Eligibility reference (state workforce/financial assistance context))](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/5a8e3f0e-6e9f-42c5-a521-c57b82b6cb96/file) — official: https://hcai.ca.gov/workforce/financial-assistance/eligibility

More California RHTP activity: https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/states/ca (markdown: https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/states/ca.md)

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Source: Rural Care Journey (RCJ), https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/opportunities/small-rural-hospital-improvement-program-grants--d3d4cdb750 — data as of 2026-10-24.
Cite the RCJ page for the summary and the linked official source for authoritative terms, deadlines, and amounts.