Deadline: 05-Nov-2025
The Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program is a new federal initiative designed to empower U.S. state governments to strengthen healthcare in rural communities by improving access, quality, and outcomes through transformative approaches.
Administered as a cooperative agreement, the program promotes innovation, strategic partnerships, infrastructure development, and workforce investments to build a stronger, more resilient rural healthcare ecosystem.
The RHT Program sets out several strategic goals to guide state-led projects. It aims to make rural America healthier by supporting evidence-based interventions that prevent disease, improve chronic care management, enhance behavioral health services, and expand prenatal care. It also emphasizes creating sustainable access to care by helping rural facilities become long-term access points through operational efficiencies, shared services, and coordinated networks with regional systems.
Another core focus of the program is workforce development. States are encouraged to develop strategies to recruit, train, and retain highly skilled healthcare workers in rural areas, including community health workers, pharmacists, and patient navigators, while supporting existing providers to practice at the top of their licenses. The program also promotes innovative care models to improve outcomes, reduce costs, and reward quality through new payment mechanisms and value-based care arrangements. Additionally, it seeks to foster technological innovation, enabling rural providers and patients to benefit from digital health tools, improved data sharing, enhanced cybersecurity, and access to remote care.
With an expected total of $50 billion available over five budget periods, the RHT Program represents a landmark opportunity to reshape rural healthcare delivery nationwide. Eligibility is limited to the 50 U.S. states; the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, and other entities such as local governments, hospitals, universities, nonprofits, and tribes are not eligible to apply. Even states with smaller rural populations are encouraged to consider how this funding could be leveraged to address the unique challenges and opportunities of their rural communities.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
