Healthy Hometowns Cardiovascular Health Hub Program

The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) # COMPADM26007 is to solicit applications that will enable the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (referred to as Agency) to select the most qualified applicants to serve as cardiovascular health Hub and Spoke sites in a “Network”. The purpose of developing Hub and Spoke sites to form a Network is to sustain and expand access to high-quality cardiovascular diagnostics, interventional procedures, disease management, rehabilitation, and tele-cardiology for rural Iowans. It is also to promote chronic disease prevention and management in rural Iowa (option 3 below).

Through the Healthy Hometowns Rural Health Transformation Program, Iowa seeks innovative models to address persistent gaps in cardiovascular care, reduce disparities, and improve outcomes for patients with heart disease, vascular disease, and other conditions.

Hub and Spoke sites will work collaboratively to build Networks that increase access to advanced cardiac care, such as percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI), cardiac catheterization, advanced imaging, and cardiac rehabilitation. Local rural providers are to be supported and care should be delivered as close to home as possible when clinically appropriate. This procurement offers three flexible options for organizations to participate in a cardiovascular or chronic disease Hub and Spoke Network, with more details below:

1. Option 1 – Regional Hub and Spoke Network: Apply as a regional Hub and Spoke Network for advanced cardiovascular services.

The Hub organization should be able to provide access to emergency services, cardiology, interventional cardiology, cardiac and vascular surgery, heart failure specialists, and electrophysiologists. At least two Spoke facilities must be included in the application that can provide or begin providing local access to diagnostics, disease management, rehabilitation, and leverage tele-cardiology and virtual consultations with the regional Hub.

1. Option 2 – Expand Iowa’s Hub Capacity in Rural Areas: Apply as a single organization committing to becoming a regional cardiovascular Hub in any region of Iowa that lacks access to advanced cardiovascular services.

Organizations should make a significant investment to increase access to advanced cardiovascular services in areas that currently lack access. For example, this may include increasing access to interventional cardiology, cardiac and vascular surgery, or electrophysiology studies. Spoke facilities must be identified and formal referral and legal agreements executed by December 2028 to provide local rural access to diagnostics, disease management, rehabilitation, and leverage tele-cardiology and virtual consultations as clinically appropriate.

1. Option 3 – Support and Sustain Iowa’s Spokes: Apply as a network of primary and secondary cardiovascular care organizations that focus on preventive care, chronic disease management, diagnostics, outpatient and/or lower-level therapeutics, rehabilitation, and participate in tele-cardiology and virtual consultations with advanced cardiovascular care teams.

A Hub organization must be identified for each Spoke facility and need not be the same for each. For example, organizations may choose to offer separate but complementary sets of services that together increase access to chronic disease prevention and management for rural Iowans.

This procurement is supported by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling approximately $209,040,063.71 in the first year of a potential five-year period with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official view of, nor an endorsement, by CMS/HHS, or the U.S.

Government.

Iowa’s year two award for this program is anticipated by October 15, 2026 and budget amounts could change at that time. All activities presented within this RFP, including access to funds, are subject to CMS approval of the Agency’s year 2 budget.

This work implements a portion of the Hometown Connections Initiative of the Iowa Healthy Hometowns Project, funded through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Rural Health Transformation Program, opportunity #: CMS-RHT-26-001.

The Agency will post the RFP under Grant Opportunities quick link at www.IowaGrants.gov.

County: Polk