On July 4, 2025, H.R. 1 was signed into law, establishing the federal $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) to improve rural healthcare across all fifty states. The program provides federal funding from federal fiscal years 2026-2030 to improve access, quality, and sustainability of rural healthcare. The program is administered at the federal level by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Mission
To improve access, quality, and sustainability of rural healthcare. The program is administered at the federal level by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
What We Do
Rhode Island has submitted an application for the Rural Health Transformation Program Grant to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. In Rhode Island, the application was developed through an interagency team led by the the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS), working in partnership with the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) and other state agencies and partners.
About the Program
Through this funding, Rhode Island has the opportunity to:
- Strengthen local health systems
- Rethink how rural care is delivered
- Modernize infrastructure
- Recruit, train, and retain our workforce
- Build sustainable systems that last beyond federal funding
This is a federal grant program, and states are not required to provide matching dollars to access RHTP resources. View the Notice of Funding Opportunity from CMS.
Rhode Island’s rural communities face unique challenges, including limited access to care, workforce shortages, transportation barriers, and persistent health disparities.
The RHTP provides a historic opportunity to transform Rhode Island’s rural healthcare landscape. By aligning local innovation with federal priorities, we can:
- Expand access to care close to home
- Strengthen financial stability for rural services
- Build integrated, coordinated care systems
- Invest in a workforce prepared to meet community needs
- Support innovative models of care
- Improve rural health outcomes and chronic disease management
While Rhode Island is the smallest state, rural health disparities affect thousands of residents.
Federally Designated Rural Area: New Shoreham (Block Island)
Rhode Island-Specific Rural Definition:
- Developed by the Office of Primary Care and Rural Health and approved by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy to guide administration of the State Offices of Rural Health Program.
- Identifies 18 Rhode Island towns as having rural health challenges, including:
- Limited access to providers
- Transportation barriers
- Higher rates of chronic disease
- Reduced access to behavioral health and specialty care
- View Rhode Island’s current rural health definition.
- Total Funding: $50 billion nationally over five years (~$10 billion annually).
- Base Allocation: If all states apply, Rhode Island could receive ~$100 million per year for five years.
- Discretionary Funds: Additional funds may be awarded based on rurality and other factors.
- Administration: No state match required. No more than 10% of funds may be used for state administrative expenses. Funds must be used by the end of the fiscal year following the year in which they were allotted.
- Timeline:
- CMS released Notice of Funding Opportunity: September 15, 2025
- Application due: November 5, 2025
- Awards announced: December 31, 2025
- Program begins: Quarter 1 of 2026
Rhode Island’s vision for Rural Health Transformation is to build a connected, community-driven system that ensures every rural resident has timely, coordinated, high-quality care close to home. To achieve this vision, the state centered its proposal around the following goals and strategies:
Goal 1: Improve the Health of Rural Residents
Advance coordinated, community-based population health strategies to address chronic disease, behavioral health, substance use, maternal and child health, oral health, and other root causes to improve outcomes for rural Rhode Islanders.
Goal 2: Expand Access to Comprehensive, Quality, Low-Cost Care
Increase local access points for urgent, primary, behavioral, and specialty care services—beyond clinics and hospitals—reaching rural residents where they live, work, and gather, such as schools, libraries, community centers, and even their homes.
Goal 3: Strengthen the Rural Health Care Workforce
Build and expand workforce efforts through rural training opportunities, providing incentives for providers to practice in rural communities, enhancing partnerships with educational institutions to build training capacity, and supporting individuals at all stages of their health care careers.
Goal 4: Accelerate Value-Based and Affordable Care Models
Advance comprehensive primary care transformation and support hospitals and practices in transitioning to alternative payment models through incentives, technical assistance, and clinical and operational infrastructure.
Goal 5: Integrate Technology into Rural Practice
Strengthen health information technology through cost-effective, secure, and interoperable systems to expand remote care, improve data sharing and cybersecurity, and explore responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI).
The development of Rhode Island's application included extensive public input through a statewide rural health survey and a series of community listening sessions. We greatly appreciate everyone who has taken the time to share feedback. Importantly, this is not a one-time process—stakeholder engagement will continue throughout the implementation of the program to ensure rural voices remain central as the work moves forward.
Virtual Community Input Sessions
Stay Connected and Get Involved
- Join a Virtual Input Session
- Contact the Rural Health Transformation Program Team at RIDOH.OPCRH@health.ri.gov