Oklahoma rural health program opens chronic disease grants for Texas County providers

Oklahoma’s rural health program has put real money on the table for Texas County providers, with applications open for a Chronic Disease Management Program that could help local clinics and nonprofits expand care for diabetes, heart disease, cancer, lung disease and stroke. The deadline is June 8, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. CT, and the state says the award is designed for providers, community-based organizations and other groups that can put proven chronic-disease models to work in rural Oklahoma.

That matters in a county where the gap between diagnosis and steady care can be measured in miles, staffing and insurance coverage. Texas County’s estimated population was 20,577 in 2024 and 20,322 in 2025, while Guymon was estimated at 12,397 in 2024. The county’s uninsured rate for residents under age 65 was 21.8 percent, a number that helps explain why diabetes coaching, blood-pressure follow-up, smoking cessation, respiratory care and stroke prevention can be harder to sustain without local help.

The state’s broader Rural Health Transformation Program set the stage for this grant round. Oklahoma said it secured about $223,476,948.62 for the first budget period of the five-year effort, and officials said rural communities cover 90% of the state. The planning process drew more than 400 responses to a statewide request for information, four regional listening sessions, Tribal consultations and more than 40 interviews with rural stakeholders. The state has also pointed to long travel distances for basic and specialty care, limited broadband and cell service, transportation barriers, and the financial strain that chronic disease places on rural hospitals and providers.

For Texas County, the practical question now is which organizations will step forward. Applicants must have a physical location in Oklahoma, either a headquarters or branch, and must already be providing services in rural Oklahoma. Oklahoma said organizations based elsewhere in the state may still qualify if they have a history of serving rural communities directly or through formal partnerships. The award runs for one year, with funds to be spent no later than September 30, 2027, except for personnel, fringe and travel costs, which must be spent by October 30, 2026. All funds must be obligated by May 1, 2027, and applicants must have a UEI number ready at the time of application.

For clinics, public health groups and nonprofits in Guymon, Goodwell, Hooker and Texhoma, this is the kind of grant that could mean more than another line in a budget. If local applicants win, the payoff could be more screenings, more follow-up visits, more care coordination and more disease management close to home, where patients need it most.