Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program
Forecasted
Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program supports small rural hospitals with technology, equipment, and training to improve quality reporting, value-based care, and financial operations.
Funder: California Department of Health Care Access and Information
Due Dates (Anticipated): January 2027 (Application) | March 2027 (Workplan edits and corrections)
Funding Amounts: Approximately $13,528 per hospital for one year; final awards depend on federal funding
Summary: SHIP supports small rural hospitals’ operational improvements in quality reporting, value-based care, and financial processes.
Key Information: California hospitals must be nonfederal, short-term general acute care facilities with 49 or fewer staffed beds.
Description
The Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP) helps small rural hospitals strengthen their capacity to provide quality health care through delivery-system and operational improvements. California’s Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) administers the program through the California State Office of Rural Health (CalSORH), using federal funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy.
SHIP supports hardware, software, equipment, and training that advance value-based payment and care goals. Investments focus on data collection for quality reporting, Accountable Care Organizations and shared savings arrangements, and hospital financial processes. The program funds operational activities, including health information technology, quality improvement training, and payment-system readiness.
