Fierce Healthcare is tracking announcements from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and individual states regarding funding awards as part of the five-year, $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) fund.
Every state submitted applications to the federal government in November outlining plans to improve rural healthcare with their share of $50 billion in funds from the program, with CMS announcing awards in December. A full list of awards for RHTP's first year can be found here.
Detailed information on how exactly the funds are being distributed has so far varied from state to state, though CMS and some state leaders have shared announcements describing the destinations for some or all of their first-year awards.
Stay up to date with this tracker for the latest RHTP funding updates, and email Cailey Gleeson at [email protected] with any news.
North Carolina
CMS announced Sept. 30 that North Carolina will receive $20 million in RHTP funding to expand telehealth access and update health technology for rural residents.
Projects supported by the funding include:
- Investing in telehealth, digital tools, health information technology and other tools
- Supporting training, recruitment, retention and innovative care teams
- Helping rural healthcare organizations strengthen operations
In total, North Carolina will receive $213,008,356 during fiscal year 2026.
Montana
Montana will receive $8.7 million in funds to provide emergency medical service (EMS) agencies with new ambulances and equipment, CMS announced.
The RHTP funding will support new supplies for 79 EMS agencies across the state. An additional 75 agencies, including three tribal governments, received funding for equipment, including IV pump systems, ventilators, cardiac monitors and more.
In total, Montana will receive $233,509,359 during fiscal year 2026.
Texas
Texas is getting a $51 million investment in RHTP funding to create or improve community-based wellness and chronic disease prevention programs.
The funds will aid providers in rural areas with implementing solutions to prevent and improve outcomes for residents experiencing diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, obesity and cardiovascular disease.
In total, Texas will receive $281,319,361 during fiscal year 2026.
Colorado
CMS announced Sept. 28 that Colorado will receive $169 million as part of RHTP funding.
The funding will support expanding specialty care, strengthening emergency services and improving access to blood transfusion treatments. The investment will support 91 grantees and approximately 250 projects, the agency notes.
In total, Colorado will receive $200,105,604 during fiscal year 2026.
Arkansas
CMS announced Sept. 24 that Arkansas will receive $54.6 million to expand maternal healthcare services, support the workforce and help fight chronic disease.
Funding will support 54 projects, including $27.4 million towards 30 projects dedicated to community-based health and wellness services and $27.2 million towards workforce recruitment, training and retention efforts.
In total, Arkansas will receive $208,779,396 during fiscal year 2026. The announcement notes this funding round completes the state’s initial first year award cycle.
South Dakota
CMS has doled out $13 million to South Dakota from RHTP funds to establish a 24/7 mobile crisis response service for residents in need of substance abuse and mental health services.
The funding includes support for 12 modernization and infrastructure grants to providers in the state’s Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) initiative.
It builds on a previous $120 million funding announcement as part of the RHTP.
In total, South Dakota will receive $189,477,607 during fiscal year 2026.
Delaware
Delaware will receive $23 million in funding to strengthen healthcare services and expand access for rural residents.
Specifically, funding will support the state’s three Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in modernization efforts and chronic disease management improvements, CMS announced on Sept. 24.
In total, Delaware will receive $157,394,964 during fiscal year 2026.
Missouri
CMS announced Sept. 22 that Missouri will receive more than $45 million in RHTP funding to support hospital infrastructure improvements, access to care and more.
Projects supported by the funds include:
- Supporting recruitment, training, clinical education and retention strategies
- Building shared digital infrastructure and improving interoperability and data sharing
- Supporting provider modernization and innovative care and payment models
In total, Missouri will receive $216,276,818 during fiscal year 2026.
New Mexico
New Mexico will receive $74 million in fresh funds to expand specialty, maternal and behavioral healthcare across rural areas throughout the state, according to a Sept. 21 announcement.
Specifically, the funding supports six Regional Hub Organizations led by Healthy Horizons, which is one part of the state’s five-year RHTP strategy. Projects supported by the funding include:
- Using in-person care, telehealth, e-consults and remote patient monitoring to strengthen care
- Building out the state’s rural healthcare workforce
- Expanding remote care tools
In total, New Mexico will receive $211,484,741 during fiscal year 2026.
Connecticut
The Trump administration announced a $50 million investment to improve rural health in Connecticut. The funding will help four rural hospital systems modernize facilities, expand service capacity and stabilize essential healthcare infrastructure to better serve rural Connecticut communities.
Projects supported by the funding include:
- Expanding primary care, prevention, wellness and chronic disease management for rural residents
- Supporting workforce development and care models tailored to small communities
- Coordinating state, regional, provider and community partners around rural access priorities
In total, Connecticut will receive $154,249,106 during fiscal year 2026.
South Carolina
CMS announced Sept. 17 that South Carolina will receive $167 million in RHTP funding to expand local access to care, modernize technology and infrastructure, strengthen workforce capacity and more.
The capital will support 228 grants to reduce barriers to care and strengthen healthcare access in rural communities, according to the announcement.
Projects supported by the funding include:
- Expanding electronic health records, telehealth, remote patient monitoring and other digital tools
- Scaling proven approaches in chronic disease management, pediatric care and workforce development
- Expanding mobile health services, crisis responses, pop-up clinics and more
In total, South Carolina will receive $200,030,252 during fiscal year 2026.
Mississippi
Mississippi will receive $104 million to support 167 grants spanning rural provider technology, telehealth programs and other initiatives, CMS announced on Sept. 15.
Projects supported by the investment include:
- 97 grants totaling approximately $47.4 million to help rural providers modernize technology
- 43 grants totaling nearly $43.3 million to expand essential healthcare services across rural communities
- 27 grants totaling nearly $13.4 million for telehealth and remote patient monitoring capabilities
In total, Mississippi will receive $205,907,220 during fiscal year 2026.
North Carolina
North Carolina was awarded $1.25 million in RHTP funding to expand access to preventive, acute and behavioral care for children.
The investment builds on $10 million in previously announced funding. Projects supported by the overall funding include:
- Supporting NC Roots Hubs, primary and preventive care, chronic disease management, and perinatal health
- Expanding behavioral health and substance use disorder services
- Supporting training, recruitment, retention and innovative care teams
In total, North Carolina will receive $213,008,356 during fiscal year 2026.
Kansas
CMS announced Sept. 14 that Kansas will receive nearly $17 million to adopt emerging healthcare technologies and improve patient transportation across rural areas.
Projects supported by the funding include:
- $16 million towards Emerging Technology Grants to help 14 rural providers adopt technologies
- $780,000 towards supporting the Interfacility Transport Project
The announcement builds on more than $80 million in funding previously announced for the state.
In total, Kansas will receive $221,898,008 during fiscal year 2026.
Vermont
CMS announced Sept. 10 that Vermont will receive $11.7 million to expand access and care through rural nursing care facilities, as well as strengthen the state's rural workforce.
Projects supported by the funding include:
- Increasing access to high-quality medical care in nursing homes
- Expanding rural care innovation, including a “dialysis den” in a nursing home
- Increasing recruitment and retention of LNAs
In total, Vermont will receive $195,053,740 during fiscal year 2026.
West Virginia
CMS announced Sept. 9 that $4.8 million in RHTP funding was awarded to West Virginia to expand its workforce and access to various care services, including behavioral and preventive care.
Projects supported by the funding include:
- Investing in recruitment, retention, training and rural career pathways
- Expanding telehealth, digital tools, data sharing, cybersecurity, equipment and infrastructure
- Strengthening access to primary, behavioral, maternal, emergency, specialty and preventive care—while supporting prevention and chronic disease management
In total, West Virginia will receive $199,476,099 during fiscal year 2026.
New York
New York will receive $76 million to strengthen regional care coordination and modernize health technology, CMS said on Sept. 4.
Projects supported by the funding include:
- Creating more integrated regional networks and improving coordination between hospitals, health centers and behavioral health providers.
- Expanding access to comprehensive healthcare in rural areas
- Strengthening rural health partnerships and care coordination
In total, New York will receive $212,058,208 during fiscal year 2026.
Rhode Island
CMS announced Sept. 4 that Rhode Island will receive $5.48 million to strengthen its rural healthcare workforce pipeline.
Projects supported by the funding include:
- More than $1.36 million towards creating a healthcare pipeline “anchored” by an in-campus physical therapy clinic, programs and a middle school wellness initiative to introduce students to careers in the industry
- $928,574 to expand a K-12 healthcare career pipeline through an enhanced Biomedical Sciences pathway and a new EMS/Health Sciences Learning Center
- $710,619 to launch the state’s first Pre-Medicine CTE program
- $28,542 to connect outdoor experiential learning with healthcare career exploration
In total, Rhode Island will receive $173,128,201 during fiscal year 2026.
Michigan
CMS announced Sept. 4 that Michigan will receive $25 million in RHTP funding to modernize its health technology and expand telehealth access.
Projects supported by the funding include:
- Modernizing rural health technology and digital infrastructure through the Office of Rural Prosperity
- Expanding broadband internet access
- Strengthening the state’s rural healthcare workforce through recruitment, training and retention efforts
In total, Michigan will receive $173,128,201 during fiscal year 2026.
Indiana
Indiana is getting $120 million in RHTP funding to expand maternal and infant health services, expand primary care access and strengthen its rural workforce, CMS announced on Sept. 4.
Projects supported by the funding include:
- Providing prenatal and postpartum navigation, maternal-fetal medicine access, infant support, prenatal mental health support and a rural-focused OB residency.
- Developing a coordinated regional transportation network linking hospitals, EMS, aging-services providers and local transit
- Incorporating food and nutrition pilots into communities’ healthcare offerings
In total, Indiana will receive $206,927,897 during fiscal year 2026.
Hawaii
The state of Hawaii will receive a $58 million investment as part of the federal Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), the Trump administration announced Sept. 1.
“As a physician who has practiced in rural communities, I know that distance can determine whether someone receives care in time. This $58 million federal investment will help us train and retain more healthcare professionals, provide new ambulances in every county and modernize emergency communications. Mahalo to our federal partners, the University of Hawaiʻi John A. Burns School of Medicine and the Department of Health for helping us bring quality care closer to home,” said Gov. Josh Green in a statement.
Projects supported by the funding include:
- Hawaii to allocate $45 million to the University of Hawaiʻi John A. Burns School of Medicine to administer various workforce development programs through the Hawaii Outreach for Medical Education in Rural Under-resourced Neighborhoods (HOME RUN) initiative.
- An additional $13 million will go to the Hawaii Department of Health to acquire new ambulances for each county and upgrade emergency communications systems.
In total, Hawaii will receive $188,892,440 during fiscal year 2026.
Arkansas
CMS announced on August 31 that $149.3 million will be awarded to Arkansas to fund technologies that advance telehealth, expand specialty care and modernize health infrastructure across the state.
In a press release, the agency said the administration’s investment will help upgrade ambulances, expand telehealth and patient-monitoring capabilities, upgrade rural hospitals and clinics with advanced imaging and emergency teleconsultation technology, and enhance training for rural health providers.
Investments will also help hospitals maintain critical services during power outages and disasters and expand specialty and preventive care across rural clinics, CMS said.
Projects supported by the funding include:
- $10 million to replace ambulances and add telehealth communications, connectivity and patient-monitoring equipment, data sharing, training, and a Patient Navigation Hub.
- $6.3 million to upgrade rural hospitals and clinics with specialty telehealth, AI-enabled SMART rooms, telemetry and imaging equipment, digital integration, and emergency teleconsultation capability.
- $2.3 million to provide telehealth assessments, infrastructure upgrades, access points, and digital health training through seven rural partners.
- $5 million to purchase and install emergency generators, integrate electrical systems, and conduct testing and preparedness activities so participating rural hospitals can maintain critical services during outages and disasters.
- $12 million to expand specialty and preventive care, modernize infrastructure, create a regional network intended to serve 2,400 rural residents by Year 5, expand services in 10 clinics, and increase provider data sharing.
- $1.2 million to create a telehealth hearing-care network that provides screening, specialist triage, diagnosis, and treatment through community sites and rural clinics.
In total, Arkansas will receive $208,779,396 during fiscal year 2026.
Virginia
CMS announced Aug. 28 that $122 million will be awarded to Virginia to expand healthcare access, workforce and technological innovations across the state.
Projects supported by the funding include:
- Expanding remote patient monitoring, rural residency, provider training slots, community paramedicine, maternal care and mobile/hybrid care models in underserved regions
- Strengthening healthcare workforce
- Driving innovation and coordination, which includes funding for early-stage health tech companies to scale digital solutions
In total, Virginia will receive $189,544,888 during fiscal year 2026.
Georgia
CMS announced Aug. 27 that $93.3 million in funding will be awarded to Georgia to advance new care models and improve health outcomes for rural patients.
Projects supported by the funding include:
- Providing 87 rural hospitals with pre-implementation funds to prepare for participation in CMS’ AHEAD Model
- Expanding training and education for nurses, emergency medical technicians and paramedics
- Expanding access and strengthening telehealth access points, maternal and behavioral healthcare, newborn screening, transportation and other services to improve access to care
- Supporting technology-enabled care and infrastructure, including rural hospital cybersecurity, telehealth capacity, surgical robotics and more
The state has now committed the full $218,862,170 awarded for its first year of funding through the RHTP with these investments, according to the release notes.
Ohio
CMS announced Aug. 26 that Ohio will receive $3.15 million in RHTP funding to expand pharmacy connectivity throughout the state’s rural communities.
Projects supported by the funding include:
- $2 million towards improving pharmacists’ access to patient medical records and strengthening medication management
- $1.15 million towards improving integrated access to the Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System for rural providers
Previous funding includes $10 million towards Ohio University in support of rural workforce development. Additionally, the agency says there is a $61.7 million funding opportunity towards developing and expanding rural CINs and Rural Health Innovation Hubs across 73 non-urban counties.
In total, Ohio will receive $202,030,262 during fiscal year 2026.
Alaska
CMS announced Aug. 25 that $160 million in funding will be awarded to 142 projects across Alaska, with an emphasis on expanding technology and coordinated statewide care.
Projects supported by the funding include:
- $6.5 million towards the first robotics-assisted minimally invasive surgeries in southern and southeastern Alaska
- $5 million towards a first-of-its-kind tribally led residential treatment and recovery campus for behavioral health in southeast Alaska
- $4.75 million towards strengthening statewide health data infrastructure
- $4.6 million towards stabilizing and enhancing the Alaska Family Medicine Residency Program
- More than $3.1 million towards establishing a statewide AI imaging network across 21 acute care hospitals
The funding announcement is just a portion of overall funding to be awarded to the state for fiscal year 2026. In December, CMS announced that Alaska would receive $272,174,856 in total as part of the RHTP grants.
Alabama
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey announced Aug. 24 that 138 grants will be awarded to healthcare providers and organizations across the state—totaling more than $144 million.
The grants support projects across every county in the state to improve healthcare access, quality and outcomes. The Alabama RHTP (ARHTP) includes 11 initiatives, with initial grants funding five: rural health, rural workforce, mental health, rural health practice and collaborative electronic health record (EHR), IT and cybersecurity.
The collaborative EHR, IT and cybersecurity grants cover 29 projects; rural health grants cover 57 projects; rural workforce initiative grants cover 25 projects; rural health practice grants cover 14 projects and mental health grants cover 13 projects.
The projects are supported by CMS, totaling $203,404,327 for the state, per the press release.
Grants for remaining initiatives are in progress and will be announced at a later date, according to an Aug. 24 press release. Full story.
North Dakota
CMS announced on Aug. 20 an additional investment of $1 million in RHTP funding for North Dakota, building on nearly $60 million in previously announced funding.
Projects supported by the fund that have been disclosed so far include:
- $40 million towards helping rural hospitals replace equipment, expand specialty and emergency care services and improve the speed of local diagnoses
- $10 million towards stabilizing and retaining healthcare workforce across 37 critical access hospitals and affiliated rural clinics
- $1.5 million towards deploying a mobile mammography unit across western North Dakota
In total, North Dakota will receive $198,936,970 during fiscal year 2026.
Pennsylvania
CMS announced on Aug. 19 that Pennsylvania will be awarded $35 million to modernize rural healthcare in the state, including through advanced screening technology.
Projects supported by the funding include:
- Strengthening integration and delivery of services, leveraging technology, and strengthening the workforce
- Supporting renovations, structural improvements, equipment purchases, and essential supplies for organizations and providers
- Strengthening access to critical services and infrastructure, including emergency and non-emergency medical transportation, behavioral and maternal healthcare and more.
In total, Pennsylvania will receive $193,294,054 during fiscal year 2026. CMS noted in the Aug. 19 announcement that it has already invested $42 million in 62 projects across the state.
South Dakota
CMS announced Aug. 19 that South Dakota will be awarded $90 million in RHTP funds, with an emphasis on accelerating digital health efforts.
Projects supported by the funding include:
- Supporting infrastructure improvements, diagnostic and surgical capacity, emergency care and specialty care access
- Modernizing electronic health records, cybersecurity and network infrastructure and virtual care capabilities
- Expanding mobile tribal health services, maternal health resources and tailored care coordination
- Strengthening the rural healthcare workforce and advancing the integration of value-based care
In total, South Dakota will receive $189,477,607 during fiscal year 2026.