# Virginia RHTP: Homegrown Health Heroes — Attract & Retain Physicians (GME) This RFA, as part of Virginia’s Rural Health Transformation Program—Homegrown Health Heroes initiative, provides substantial support for expanding or creating rural physician residency programs in high-need specialties via hospitals and health systems serving rural Virginia. Under the 'Attract & Retain Physicians' sub-initiative, up to $200,000 per resident slot is available (estimated 47 awards in Budget Period 1: 10/30/2026–9/30/2027). Funds support both capacity expansion (Tier 1) and new program creation (Tier 2) for eligible specialties including primary care (family/internal medicine), OB/GYN, psychiatry, general surgery, pediatrics, nurse midwifery, and other locally justified specialties. Funded residents must commit to a five-year rural service obligation (including residency), bolstering the workforce pipeline and sustainable rural care access. All awards are cost-reimbursable with a 4% cap on administrative expenses and no matching/cost-share requirement. Applicants must be licensed hospitals/health systems in or serving eligible rural Virginia localities, maintain active SAM.gov/UEI, demonstrate federal fund management capacity, and hold or obtain ACGME accreditation as required per tier. Preference is given for recruiting/retaining trainees from rural Virginia. See RFA-RHTP-GME-1 for full details, eligibility, documentation, requirements, required milestones, and funding structure. ## Key facts - Status: Closed - Type: RFA - Issued by: Virginia Hospital Research and Education Foundation d/b/a Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association Foundation (VHHAF) (Virginia) - Posted: 2026-08-10 - Application due: 2026-09-16 - Funding: $200,000 - Eligible applicants: Hospitals, Health Systems - How to apply: Online application through RHTP Application Portal—see RFA-RHTP-GME-1 (pg. 2/14) for application portal link, instructions, and more. Ensure all required forms and application components (as listed) are properly named per RFA/Appendix guidance. - Funding source: Rural Health Transformation Program (CMS) - Official source: https://vhhafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/VHHA-GRADUATE-MEDICAL-EDUCATION-RFA-RHTP-GME-1.pdf ## Eligibility Eligible applicants are licensed hospitals and health systems physically located in or directly serving rural Virginia communities (using the RHTP/FORHP rural baseline definition; see Exhibit B of RFA-RHTP-GME-1 for current eligible localities). Applicants must hold active SAM.gov registration with valid UEI, have no federal exclusions/debarments, and demonstrate financial systems and organizational capacity required for managing federal funds in compliance with 2 CFR Part 200. Applicants must be a primary participant in an ACGME-accredited GME program (Tier 1), or plan to create a new program/track and obtain accreditation as outlined in the RFA (Tier 2). Preference is given to those recruiting or retaining residents originating from rural Virginia. All other eligibility and documentation requirements as specified in RFA-RHTP-GME-1 apply. ## Requirements Applicants must comply with all eligibility requirements detailed in RFA-RHTP-GME-1, including rural service area qualifications, program and milestone standards, and organizational/fiscal criteria. A complete application includes: signed Cover Page & Attestation, Project Narrative covering required A–I sections, Budget Narrative/Plan, Organizational Capacity Statement, Key Personnel resumes/biosketches, Resident Demographics & Retention Data, list of Proposed Clinical Training Sites, ACGME Accreditation letter or timeline (as applicable), Most Recent Audited Financials (or Single Audit for past 3 years), current fiscal year department budget, comparable project info, active SAM.gov/UEI/debarment certification, and support/MOUs as relevant. Awardees must meet annual and program milestone achievement, submit required reports (quarterly/annual), adhere to federal terms (2 CFR 200), and maintain all documentation for compliance review. Administrative costs must not exceed 4% of subaward. No cost share/match is required. See Section 4.1 and subsequent RFA details for application content, file naming, and submission instructions. ## Required attachments - Signed Application Cover Page & Attestation (Exhibit A) - Project Narrative - Budget Narrative and Plan - Organizational Capacity Statement - Key Personnel resumes or biosketches - Resident Demographics and Retention Data - Proposed Clinical Training Site(s) - ACGME Accreditation Letter (or plan/timeline for Tier 2) - Most Recent Audited Financials or Single Audit (past 3 years) - Current Fiscal Year Department Operating Budget - Comparable Project Information - Active SAM.gov Registration Confirmation and Debarment Certification - Letters of Support / MOUs (if applicable) ## Application package and source documents - [VA - 2026 - REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS: Homegrown Health Heroes – Attract & Retain Physicians (Request for Applications (RFA))](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/52f9aae6-4f93-476c-b33a-f94c11d2acae/file) (primary) — official: https://vhhafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/VHHA-GRADUATE-MEDICAL-EDUCATION-RFA-RHTP-GME-1.pdf - [VA - 2026 - Virginia RHT Fund Sub-Initiative and RFA Navigator Overview (RHT RFA Navigator and Applicant Guidance)](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/5b45470f-85c7-4b98-a99d-3e35b02ed10a/file) — official: https://www.ruralhealthtransformationva.virginia.gov/media/governorvirginiagov/rural-health-transformation/pdf/RHT-RFA-Navigator.pdf - [VA - 2026 - RHT in Virginia (virginia-rural-health-transformation)](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/7f70ac3b-5d4b-4cc5-91c0-04ae2937b10b/file) — official: https://vhhafoundation.org/virginia-rural-health-transformation More Virginia RHTP activity: https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/states/va (markdown: https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/states/va.md) --- Source: Rural Care Journey (RCJ), https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/opportunities/virginia-rhtp-homegrown-health-heroes-attract-retain-physicians-gme--0c7d7b0993 — data as of 2026-09-19. Cite the RCJ page for the summary and the linked official source for authoritative terms, deadlines, and amounts.