• 2026 Q2 Newsletter Activity Index: state-by state, topic-by-topic deeplinks

• Q2 RFP Review / Q3 RFP Watcher: Every procurement from Q2, near-term contracting outlook, and state-by-state analysis

• The 50-State RHTP Field Guide: downloadable PDF with RHT personality, program maturity, federal outlays, open procurements, engagement activity, rural geography, and contacts

In this issue:

• Maryland to conduct CRISP Rural Health Connectivity Program Webinar

• Oklahoma publishes Legislative Quarterly Report, Q2 April 1 - June 30, 2026

• Idaho pulls the Data Analytics RFP — the contract that grades the program won’t be competitively bid

• North Dakota out with new Scoring Tool

• Mississippi opens Workforce Expansion Initiative NOFO and three others

• Idaho pulls the Data Analytics RFP — the contract that grades the program won’t be competitively bid

Maryland to conduct CRISP Rural Health Connectivity Program Webinar

Jul 21, 2026 12:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Oklahoma publishes Legislative Quarterly Report, Q2 April 1 - June 30, 2026

This is state-of-the-art self-reporting.

Idaho delivers Lobbyist and Stakeholder Call Materials

Rich info.

6-15-26 DHW Lobbyist Call_FINAL For Website

6-29-26 Lobbyist call deck FINAL

7-13-26 Lobbyist call slides FINAL

North Dakota out with new Scoring Tool

Read more

• 2026 Q2 Newsletter Activity Index: state-by state, topic-by-topic deeplinks

• Q2 RFP Review / Q3 RFP Watcher: Every procurement from Q2, near-term contracting outlook, and state-by-state analysis

• The 50-State RHTP Field Guide: downloadable PDF with RHT personality, program maturity, federal outlays, open procurements, engagement activity, rural geography, and contacts

In this issue:

• Ohio closes the loop: $10M workforce award lands at Ohio University

• Virginia Implementation: The “VA Rural Vitality” Framework

• Louisiana out with Food As Medicine NOFO

• Maine to put $30M out for EMRs — and nobody has to compete for it

Ohio closes the loop: $10M workforce award lands at Ohio University

Ohio University has been awarded the full $10 million offered under DOH59715, the Ohio Department of Health’s rural workforce pipeline solicitation — 100% federally funded by CMS/HHS, announced July 10, 2026.

What the money buys is a convening structure, not a program. OHIO will lead Health Workforce Ohio, a statewide strategy co-led by The Health Collaborative and steered by the Ohio Association of Community Health Centers, which chairs an 11-organization steering committee. More than 85 organizations across health care, education, and workforce are lined up as partners. The stated work is career-exploration pipelines for students, apprenticeships and work-based learning, telehealth and digital-health training, and upskilling the incumbent workforce — concentrated on nursing, behavioral health, allied health, and community-based care.

Why it matters

Watch the governance shape, because other states will copy it: a university as fiscal and convening lead, a primary care association chairing the steering committee, and a partner network large enough that the real procurement activity moves downstream of the state. Ohio’s $10M is now a subaward funnel, and OHIO is explicitly inviting employers, training institutions, and community partners to come find funding at healthworkforceohio.org. If you sell into rural workforce — training platforms, credentialing, placement, telehealth education — the buyer in Ohio is no longer ODH. It’s Athens.

Virginia Implementation: The “VA Rural Vitality” Framework

Virginia’s entry into the federal Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program is branded “VA Rural Vitality,” a five-year strategic investment plan managed by the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS).

Last week I added this new (to me) site to our nightly scrape based on an inquiry I received from a reader.

For the first budget period, Virginia secured a confirmed federal award of 189,544,888.14. The program focuses on 76 rural counties, collectively known as the “rural horseshoe,” which represent 57% of the Commonwealth’s total counties and approximately 1.5 million residents.

The Administrative Approach: A Partner-Led Model

Unlike some states managing the entire grant portfolio centrally, Virginia utilizes a named subrecipient model. DMAS acts as the lead state agency and primary recipient of the CMS cooperative agreement, providing oversight and ensuring federal compliance, but it delegates the actual administration of specific funding streams to “Key Implementation Partners”. These partners are responsible for releasing downstream Requests for Applications (RFAs) to local providers and organizations. As of mid-2026, the state is transitioning from Phase 1, where partners are already established and contracting, to Phase 2, which involves identifying administrators for its access and wellness initiatives.

Workforce Development: Homegrown Health Heroes

Proposed at $132.0 million over five years, this initiative is front-loaded as a Year 1 priority to address critical clinician shortages. It mandates a five-year rural service commitment for participants in its residency and apprenticeship programs.

• Physician Residency: Administered by the Virginia Hospital Research and Education Foundation (VHREF), this sub-initiative aims to fund 80–100 residency slots in high-priority specialties like OB/GYN, Family Medicine, and Psychiatry.

• Allied Health Degrees: The Virginia Foundation for Community College Education (VCCS Foundation) manages a “hub-and-spoke” model to expand enrollment in two-year health programs, utilizing mobile simulation labs to reach rural campuses.

• Apprenticeships: Virginia Works administers “Earn to Learn” programs, targeting 1,500 new registered apprentice slots over the five-year period.

• K-12 Pipelines: The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) oversees high school health academies and Career and Technical Education (CTE) expansions to create job-ready pathways for roles like EMTs.

Tech Innovation: CareIQ

With a proposed budget of $282.6 million, CareIQ is designed to modernize rural legacy infrastructure.

• Tech Innovation Fund: The Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC) administers a fund providing non-dilutive grants of up to $500,000 to Virginia-based health-tech startups developing solutions for rural chronic disease.

• Interoperability and Productivity: The Virginia Health Care Foundation (VHCF) manages a fund to help FQHCs, free clinics, and rural hospitals modernize Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems and adopt AI-driven workflow tools.

• Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM): VHREF oversees the deployment of wearables and clinical dashboards, allowing providers to track patient outcomes continuously in facility and home settings.

Access and Wellness: Phase 2 Initiatives

These initiatives focus on bringing care directly to residents rather than requiring travel to distant urban centers.

• Connected Care, Closer to Home ($412.0M): This includes mobile health units, telehealth kiosks, and “Community Paramedicine” programs. The latter enables EMS providers to offer treat-in-place care and preventative home visits, leveraging an ET3-style payment model.

• Live Well, Together ($124.2M): This focus area includes “Food as Medicine” (produce prescriptions and medically tailored meals) and “Active Kids,” which funds the minor renovation of underutilized community spaces for youth physical activity.

Spending and RFP Status

Virginia’s first-year obligation of $189.5 million must be fully obligated by October 30, 2026, with funds available for expenditure through September 2027. While the state has Sec. 71401 authority to spend, official notices caution that “Virginia has not yet opened formal Requests for Applications” for all sub-initiatives.

Instead, implementation partners are currently finalizing the statements of work and procurement frameworks necessary to release local RFAs. Initial local impacts are already emerging; for example, the Virginia Highlands Community College was awarded funding via the VCCS Foundation implementation partner to expand its LPN nursing track to clear local waitlists. Vendors and local entities are encouraged to join the official distribution list on the state’s Rural Health Transformation website to receive real-time alerts when RFAs are formally posted.

Here’s a quick explainer video.

Read more

• Montana names its Center of Excellence Advisory Council

• North Carolina details Rural Health Innovation Fund

• Tennessee Locks the Calendar on Its Short-Range Health Tech RFA

• West Virginia upshots from RHTP Informational Webinar Session 2

• Maryland comes out with $20M+ in rural workforce and connectivity funding

• Pennsylvania opens a $25M EHR & HIO interoperability payment

• Wyoming publishes two of three tech vendor RFPs

• Utah drops $94M in one morning — and hands the biggest piece to a consortium that doesn’t exist yet

Montana names its Center of Excellence Advisory Council

On July 10, DPHHS Director Charlie Brereton appointed a 26-member Advisory Council to guide Initiative 2 of Montana's federally approved rural health transformation plan — the Center of Excellence focused on population-health infrastructure, remote care, and rural provider partnerships. The roster is a who's-who of Montana rural health: critical access hospital CEOs (Clark Fork Valley, Frances Mahon Deaconess, St. Luke, Northern Montana), PPS system leaders (Benefis, Bozeman Health, Billings Clinic, Intermountain), FQHCs (Marias, One Health), tribal health (Rocky Boy), the state's payers (Mountain Health Co-Op, BCBS Montana), and three legislators. Notably, the council will "closely collaborate with the selected CoE Strategy and Analytics vendor" — a signal that Montana's marquee procurement is at or near award. Members serve through 2028. Montana's RHTP carries a $233.5 million first-year award, with up to $1.2 billion over five years.

North Carolina details Rural Health Innovation Fund

The state put concrete numbers behind its digital-health initiative this week. NCDHHS and NCDIT jointly announced three programs under Initiative Six of the state's Rural Health Transformation Program. The headline is a new Rural Health Innovation Fund — $20 million a year for up to five years — to help rural providers assess digital needs and modernize infrastructure, launching this fall. Alongside it: funded connectivity and training to link rural providers to NC HealthConnex, the state HIE, and a Digital Health Literacy push that, starting July 1, 2026, lets anyone dialing 211 reach a Digital Health Navigator (9 a.m.–6 p.m., weekdays). Governor Josh Stein, HHS Secretary Dev Sangvai, and IT Secretary Nate Denny all lent quotes — a sign NC is treating digital infrastructure as a cross-cabinet priority. The Innovation Fund is the one to watch: a fall launch means a provider-facing application process is coming, and "more information... leading up to the launch date" is exactly the language that precedes a posted opportunity.

Tennessee Locks the Calendar on Its Short-Range Health Tech RFA

(via email)

On July 10, 2026, Tennessee’s Department of Health issued Amendment #1 to Request for Application #34320-20327 — the Healthcare Resiliency Program’s Health Technology and Innovation (Short-Range) opportunity.

The amendment finalizes the procurement calendar. The front-end milestones — the RFA issuance, the pre-response teleconference (11:30 a.m. Central), and the written Questions & Comments deadline (2:00 p.m. Central) — are marked confirmed. The back half of the schedule is now fixed with hard dates, effective on release.

• State responses to written questions and comments: July 13, 2026

• Applications due: July 27, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. Central

• Evaluation notice released: August 24, 2026

• Contract effective start date: September 1, 2026

West Virginia upshots from RHTP Informational Webinar Session 2

West Virginia moves from vision to implementation. At its second statewide RHTP webinar on July 9, the West Virginia Department of Health reported that it has released 20+ funding opportunities with 10+ more coming this summer on a rolling basis — putting nearly all of its $199.5M Year 1 award into the procurement pipeline. Secretary of Health Dr. Arvin Singh framed the program as a national proving ground: “If health care transformation can work here, we believe it can work anywhere in rural America.”

The deck disclosed Year 1 allocations across the state’s seven pillars for the first time — led by Connected Care Grid ($45.9M) and Smart Care Catalyst ($45.6M), followed by Personal Health Accelerator ($29.0M), HealthTech Appalachia ($18.8M), Mountain State Care Force ($15.2M), Rural Health Link ($13.8M), and Health to Prosperity ($13.4M). (Administrative costs are excluded, so the pillar figures don’t sum to $199.5M.)

WV’s listserv has grown past 850 subscribers. Each solicitation is drawing 30–50 applications, scored by three-reviewer panels at roughly 2–4 hours per application, with award decisions expected this summer. All applications and proposals route through the wvOASIS Vendor Self Service portal under “Grant Funding Opportunities,” and the state reiterated hard cost caps: administrative costs at 10%, provider payments at 15%, EMR replacement at 5%, and the Rural Tech Catalyst Fund at 10% or $20M (whichever is lower).

Still to come this summer (previewed but not yet posted): inpatient and outpatient remote patient monitoring (Connected Care Grid); rotational staffing pools (Mountain State Care Force); EMS collaboratives, public transportation, vehicle acquisition, and a unified health-mobility platform (Rural Health Link); statewide value-based payment model design, provider VBC onboarding and technical assistance, and PACE expansion (Smart Care Catalyst).

Slides

Read more

• 2026 Q2 Newsletter Activity Index: state-by state, topic-by-topic deeplinks

• Q2 RFP Review / Q3 RFP Watcher: Every procurement from Q2, near-term contracting outlook, and state-by-state analysis

• The 50-State RHTP Field Guide: downloadable PDF with RHT personality, program maturity, federal outlays, open procurements, engagement activity, rural geography, and contacts

In this issue:

• Michigan launches RHTP Advisory Council

• Rhode Island closes its Administrator for a Health Information Technology (HIT) Rural Infrastructure Fund RFP

• Alabama will run two in-person RFP workshops this month

• Michigan opens $34.2M in rural workforce grants — and bets big on the social-work pipeline

• North Carolina publishes Minority Diabetes Prevention Program Funding Opportunity

• Utah looks to open $59M Multi-initiative: Sustainable Provider Revenue, Infrastructure, and Network Technology (SPRINT) Consortium today

• Kansas posts webinar on RHTP RFA Interfacility Transportation Project

• West Virginia with yet another opp: CCG – Bring Providers Online – Telehealth Upgrades

• New Mexico adds Cost Proposal Templates for Rural Health Innovation Fund

Michigan launches RHTP Advisory Council

An RHT Advisory Council has been established to:

• Support the development and implementation of an engagement strategy to strengthen collaboration with rural health partners, community leaders, and residents throughout the program lifecycle.

• Provide insight and feedback to improve partner participation during implementation and evaluation, ensuring that community and stakeholder perspectives inform ongoing refinement of initiatives.

• Offer actionable recommendations to MDHHS to inform strategic direction and policy decisions across the Rural Health Transformation initiatives.

• Serve as a bridge between state leadership, local stakeholders, and rural communities to ensure transparent communication and shared understanding of program priorities and outcomes

Rhode Island closes its Administrator for a Health Information Technology (HIT) Rural Infrastructure Fund RFP

Rhode Island is currently evaluating responses to its call for a single Administrator for a Health Information Technology (HIT) Rural Infrastructure Fund — a vendor that will both deliver hands-on technical assistance to rural providers and run the financial machinery to push many small awards out the door.

The design is worth noting because it’s a bet on nimbleness over central control. Rather than have the state cut checks, EOHHS wants one contractor to assess the technology needs of small practices across Rhode Island’s 18 rural towns (each under 25,000 residents) plus the Narragansett Indian Tribe, then pair each subaward with the technical assistance to actually use it. The vendor touches no PHI or PII but must still sign a Business Associate Agreement, and it will coordinate with CRISP Shared Services, which operates the state’s single statewide health information exchange. The contract is slated to run September 1, 2026 through 2031, with the first round of provider subawards due out by January 31, 2027.

The fine print, drawn from a heavily-subscribed 113-question Q&A, tells you who can actually bid: the winning vendor must float $10 million-plus in provider subaward funds each year pending EOHHS reimbursement, absorb banking and financing costs into its administrative price, and operate against roughly 40 KPIs with uncapped penalties — all while provider awards ride as a separate pass-through line excluded from the cost proposal. There are no oral presentations and no option years. It’s a capital-and-compliance-heavy administrator role, and it’s the first of Rhode Island’s 13 planned initiatives to reach the street.

Alabama will run two in-person RFP workshops this month

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) will host in-person application workshops for the second round of five approved Alabama Rural Health Transformation Program (ARHTP) initiatives, with a virtual Microsoft Teams option available for each session.

These one-hour workshops will provide an overview of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), including program goals, eligibility requirements, funding details, and reporting expectations. Participants will also receive a walkthrough of the application process, including required documentation, portal navigation, key deadlines, and what to expect after submission.

Each workshop will conclude with an opportunity for participants to ask questions during a live Q&A session.

Click here to read full memorandum.

Read more

• 2026 Q2 Newsletter Activity Index: state-by state, topic-by-topic deeplinks

• Q2 RFP Review / Q3 RFP Watcher: Every procurement from Q2, near-term contracting outlook, and state-by-state analysis

• The 50-State RHTP Field Guide: downloadable PDF with RHT personality, program maturity, federal outlays, open procurements, engagement activity, rural geography, and contacts

In this issue:

• Legislation Watch: NC, MI

• Tennessee posts a list of upcoming opportunities

• New Mexico’s RHIF Preproposal Deck Fills in the Numbers and the Calendar

• Mississippi to host Workforce Expansion Initiative (WEI) Webinar

• Kentucky adds info sheets— here’s the “net new” analysis since the Project Narrative was published

• New Mexico Opens an Onsite Clinic RFP with an Optional Rural Mobile Component

• West Virginia opens a third Connected Care Grid solicitation in three days — $8.96M for mobile units

Legislation Watch: NC, MI

• North Carolina — S257 (2026 Appropriations Act): The state’s $34.4 billion General Fund budget for Fiscal Year 2026-2027 codifies the North Carolina Rural Health Transformation Program — defining it in statute as the plan approved and funded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services under Section 71401 of Public Law 119-21 and setting the reporting cadence requiring the Department of Health and Human Services to report progress to the General Assembly — the vehicle through which the state’s $213 million first-year federal RHTP award is appropriated. Signed by Governor Josh Stein on July 7, 2026 and enacted as Session Law 2026-41 (ratified and presented to the Governor July 2), ending more than 1,000 days without a full spending plan. Now law. WFDD, July 7, 2026

• Michigan — SB0878: The omnibus appropriations bill funding multiple departments for Fiscal Year 2026-2027 carries the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services budget, which includes a Rural Health Transformation Program line — transferring 3.0 full-time-equivalent positions to it — to administer Michigan’s roughly $173.1 million first-year federal RHTP award. Both chambers adopted the conference committee report on July 3, 2026 (Senate 27 to 9, House 99 to 7) with immediate effect; the bill now heads to Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Michigan Advance, July 3, 2026

Tennessee posts a list of upcoming opportunities

Tennessee prepares to flood the zone with six RHTP solicitations. Between July 6 and July 20, 2026, the Tennessee Department of Health is releasing a wave of Rural Health Transformation Program RFPs through the Department of General Services — the state's most concentrated procurement push yet.

The following Request for Proposals (RFPs) through the Rural Health Transformation Program will be posting between July 6, and July 20, 2026, with application details and submission information posted on the Tennessee Department of General Services RFP webpage.

• Statewide eConsult Platform

• Community Health Access & Navigation (CHANT) Call Center

• HRP: Rural Non-Emergency Transportation

• Mobile App for Pregnancy and Post-Partum

• Rural Health Innovation Catalyst

• Community Health Access and Navigation (CHANT)

Vendors watching Tennessee should have proposals staged now — per the state's webinar, responses are due in late August with Notices of Intent to Award expected in October.

New Mexico’s RHIF Preproposal Deck Fills in the Numbers and the Calendar

New Mexico’s Health Care Authority held its Rural Health Innovation Fund preproposal webinar on July 6, and the slide deck answers the questions the RFA headline left open — the money, the platform, and the path to award.

• $47M in Year 1 against roughly $189M over five years, subject to annual CMS approval

• Applications run through Submittable, not the State’s usual Euna portal — offerors apply, and see every written question and answer, at nmhca-rhtp.submittable.com. Questions to RFA Manager Nikki Swope were due July 6, answers post July 10, and organizational reference questionnaires are due July 20 ahead of the July 27 application deadline. HCA noted the webinar was not recorded and that any verbal answers are unofficial until confirmed in writing

• Evaluation July 28 through August 17, finalist selection around August 14, optional oral presentations August 19, best-and-final offers August 20, contract finalization from August 21 to September 21, and contract awards as soon as October 1, 2026

• On scope, HCA widened the frame on who can apply — health care providers, Tribal entities, local public health, community-based organizations, local governments, academic institutions, and regional partnerships — and confirmed that a single organization may submit multiple proposals

Mississippi to host Workforce Expansion Initiative (WEI) Webinar

You are invited to join an informational webinar hosted by the Mississippi Rural Health Transformation Program (MS RHTP) to learn about upcoming funding opportunities available through the Workforce Expansion Initiative (WEI) on July 13th at 10am.

During this webinar, MS RHTP representatives will provide an overview of the WEI grant application process and discuss the following funding opportunities:

• Workforce Recruitment & Sustainable Ecosystem Development

• Preceptor Expansion Program

• Secondary Education Medical Career Outreach

• Earn While You Learn

The webinar will cover program objectives, eligibility considerations, application requirements, and key dates to help prospective applicants prepare for submission. Grant applications open July 15, 2026.

Click Here to Register

Webinar Details

• Date: July 13, 2026

• Time: 10am

A Q&A session will follow the presentation, providing participants an opportunity to receive clarification on grant opportunities and application requirements.

We encourage all eligible organizations and stakeholders interested in advancing healthcare workforce development across Mississippi to attend.

Kentucky adds info sheets— here’s the “net new” analysis since the Project Narrative was published

This morning Kentucky published six files labeled [APPROVED] (,,,,,) represent the finalized, public-facing versions of Kentucky’s Rural Health Transformation Plan (RHTP) and its five specific initiatives:

• Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Info Sheet​

• RHT PoWER Program Info Sheet

• RHT Crisis to Care Program Info Sheet

• RHT Rapid Response to Recovery Info Sheet​

• RHT Rooted in Health Info Sheet

• RHT Rural Community Hubs

While the core goals remain consistent with the initial application materials from late 2025, these files contain net new information resulting from mandatory post-award revisions and implementation refinements that occurred in early-to-mid 2026.

The Notice of Award (NoA) issued on December 29, 2025, placed a temporary restriction on funds and explicitly required Kentucky to submit a “Revision (Budget) (Type 6) amendment”. This process required Kentucky to:

• Reallocate funding from a general “other” category into appropriate, detailed budget categories.

• Submit a revised Project Narrative to reflect the actual activities and project goals for the first budget period.

The [APPROVED] files reflect the outcome of these requirements. Specific areas where they provide information not found in the original 2025 application documents include:

• Expanded Eligibility: An amendment issued in May 2026 for the Rural Community Hubs (RCH) initiative modified the eligibility criteria to include for-profit entities as potential Hub Lead Organizations, a change not in the initial plan

• Specific Subaward Details: The 2026 Request for Application (RFA) materials for initiatives like Rooted in Health and Crisis to Care introduced detailed scoring rubrics, specific staffing requirements (e.g., alignment with KRS 313), and exact requirements for letters of support and formal resolutions from governing boards

• Operational Workflows: The finalized plans for Rapid Response to Recovery include detailed “EmPATH Follow-Up Service Plans” and specific workflows for “warm handoffs” between crisis units and community-based treatment—details that were still “under development” during the initial application phase

• Detailed Equipment and Metrics: Implementation guidance from May 2026 for the Crisis to Care initiative contains exhaustive lists of allowable equipment (e.g., manikins, airway trainers, trauma kits) and specific utilization metrics (e.g., student reach by Area Development District) that were not present in the original project summary

• The Checkpoint Model: Post-award guidance from April 2026 introduced a new “Checkpoint Model” for assessing initiative progress, which includes specific stages (0.2 to 2.4) for submitting and updating project plans. The [APPROVED] files align with this finalized reporting and oversight framework

Read more

• Oregon announces Catalyst Award winners — $156M

• Vermont publishes detailed program architecture in one image

• Tennessee updates MCAN RFA and MaRTHA

• Ohio launches $62M Rural Ohio Clinically Integrated Networks and Rural Health Innovation Hubs RFP

• West Virginia publishes three new RFPs

• Utah opens $20M RISE 2.5: Recruit and Retain workforce-incentive grant — and hands the wheel to intermediaries

Oregon announces Catalyst Award winners — $156M

The Catalyst Awards grants represent Oregon’s largest round of Rural Health Transformation Program funding to date.

85 Organizations, 103 Projects, $80.1M in Budget Period 1 and $76.1M in Budget Period 2 for a total of $156.2M

The awards page is rich with detail and as usual we are enriching the data with contact, geography, and objeectives. As RHTP moves forward, we have the most granular and comprehensive database documenting the work.

Vermont publishes detailed program architecture in one image

Vermont quietly pasted all 35 activities behind its $195M award.

35 discrete activities grouped under five Strategic Initiatives. Initiatives 3 (Strengthening Primary Care, 9 activities) and 4 (Health Care Workforce Development, 7 activities) are the largest by activity count and — notably — carry no active procurements yet, making them the clearest forward pipeline. The roster spans mobile dental and MH/SUD units, community paramedicine, a shared HRIS and closed-loop referral system, e-Consult, a Family Medicine residency (Maple Mountain Consortium), and pharmacist test-to-treat scope expansion. Six activities are already in procurement; the remaining 29 signal where Vermont's RFP flow is headed

Tennessee updates MCAN RFA and MaRTHA

Via email

MCAN RFA Amendment #2 (Memory Care Assessment Network, 34320-19326)

Tennessee’s Department of Health issued Amendment #2 to its Memory Care Assessment Network RFA on July 7, answering eight bidder questions and correcting a key term. The most consequential fix: the grant period is 60 months, not the 50 stated in the original RFA — the award now runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2031. The state also confirmed it will directly hire 30 rural Dementia Care Navigators (five already in place) stationed in local health departments and state-trained, and clarified that applicants may propose using them earlier in the clinical pathway rather than only at post-diagnosis handoff. ABA/BCBA staff may support behavioral supports and caregiver training but cannot substitute for a standardized dementia diagnosis protocol or licensed clinical services. Two questions — cross-county clinician salary support and whether the “no charges to service recipients” clause bars billing for MRI services delivered on grant-funded equipment — were deferred pending CMS clarification. Applications remain due July 20, 2026; contracts start October 1. (Source: tn.gov/health/procurement)

MaRTHA Healthcare Resiliency Program pre-response teleconference (34320-20127)

Tennessee held its pre-response teleconference July 8 for the “Make Rural Tennessee Healthy Again” (MaRTHA) Healthcare Resiliency Program, a $50 million opportunity funded through the CMS Rural Health Transformation Program. The state plans multiple awards over a 58-month project period beginning September 1, 2026, targeting chronic disease, behavioral health, substance use, provider shortages, transportation barriers, and other social drivers of health through evidence-informed, community-driven strategies. Applications are scored on Community Need (35 pts) and Project Plan (35 pts), with Evaluation Plan, Sustainability, and Budget worth 10 points each. The written questions deadline is July 13, with state responses issued as a formal amendment by July 17; applications are due August 3, 2026, and evaluation notices release August 31. The Competitive Procurement Director (Competitive.Health@tn.gov) is the sole point of contact.

Read more

• 2026 Q2 Newsletter Activity Index: state-by state, topic-by-topic deeplinks

• Q2 RFP Review / Q3 RFP Watcher: Every procurement from Q2, near-term contracting outlook, and state-by-state analysis

• The 50-State RHTP Field Guide: downloadable PDF with RHT personality, program maturity, federal outlays, open procurements, engagement activity, rural geography, and contacts

In this issue:

• Legislation Watch: MI

• Colorado RHTP office hours are today

• New York posts Answers 375 Questions about Its $76M Rural Grant— here’s the upshots

• West Virginia posts Health to Prosperity - Restoring WV’s Workforce through Health-to-Work Programs for Substance Use Disorder opp

• Utah set to post RISE 2.5: Recruit and Retain today

• New Hampshire chose NORC at the University of Chicago for evaluation

• Wisconsin opens two RHTP funding channels

• North Carolina adds $105 and 10 days to North Carolina Minority Diabetes Prevention Program (NC MDPP) RFANorth Carolina adds $105 and 10 days to North Carolina Minority Diabetes Prevention Program (NC MDPP) RFA

Legislation Watch: MI

Michigan — SB878: the fiscal year 2026-27 omnibus appropriations bill funding multiple departments, including the Department of Health and Human Services (Article 6), which carries Michigan’s $173,128,201 first-year Rural Health Transformation Program award as federal receive-and-expend authority with boilerplate directing the timely allocation of those funds — both chambers adopted the conference report on July 3, 2026 with immediate effect (Senate 27-9, House 99-7), and the bill was re-returned to the Senate for enrollment before heading to Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Michigan Advance, July 3, 2026

Colorado RHTP office hours are today

Tuesday, July 7, 8 to 9 a.m. Join here.

New York Answers 375 Questions about Its $76M Rural Grant— here’s the upshots

New York State drops a big update on its Rural Community Health Integration (RCHI) funding — the first of its four Rural Health Transformation Program initiatives. On July 6, 2026, the Department of Health posted Addendum #2, a 375-question Q&A that supersedes the July 2 version and settles most of what applicants have been asking about eligibility and money. The application deadline stays at Tuesday, July 14, 2026 (4:00 PM EST, by email to rchi@health.ny.gov — no portal).

What the money actually looks like

The Q&A finally nails down the award structure. Planning grants run up to $500,000 per county, and multi-county applicants can stack them — three counties means up to $1.5 million. Implementation grants are capped at $3 million per application (not per county), covering up to three projects combined. Administrative costs are held to 5% in aggregate across the lead applicant and every partner and subcontractor, and capital/infrastructure spending is capped at 20%.

RCHI’s slice of New York’s Budget Period 1 award is $76 million of the state’s total $212,058,207.80 from CMS/HHS. Notably, implementation dollars don’t flow in BP1 — they arrive in Budget Periods 2 through 5, with BP2 beginning November 1, 2026.

Who can lead

The location rule is strict: the Lead Applicant must be physically present or legally domiciled in an eligible county — serving the county, or claiming it as a service area, isn’t enough. A satellite site can itself be the Lead Applicant, and an out-of-state parent system (say, a Pennsylvania-based network) can participate only if the in-county hospital or clinic site is the actual applicant and funds flow directly to qualifying sites, never passing through the parent or an ineligible-county location. Partner organizations, by contrast, can sit anywhere — including out of state — as long as their work benefits eligible counties.

The Yates fix and the county count

New York confirms the eligible-county list now stands at 47 rural counties. Yates County, omitted in error earlier, is back in — corrected in the Funding Guidance. Columbia and Ulster counties are also confirmed eligible.

Timeline

Award announcements are anticipated by the end of August 2026, with all contracts executed by September 30, 2026. Projects must be complete by June 30, 2027, funds fully expended by September 30, 2027, and final vouchers and reports submitted by July 31, 2027.

Read more

All paid subscribers to this newsletter get access to quarterly data reports, and today we’re publishing the report for the last three months. This is still a very new program and the content environment is repidly evolving— lots of people and machines are publishing aggregated scraped data about RFPs, NOFOs, and other contract vehicles.

Based on this, we’re increasingly focusing our efforts on deeper explorations of how states are actually implementing this vast program. So this quarter we’re delivering on the baseline promise: complete list of open and upcoming opportunities— but also including state-by-state RHT personality, program maturity, federal outlays, open procurements, engagement activity, rural geography, and contacts. We’re delivering three separate artifacts today:

2026 Q2 Newsletter Activity Index

https://www.civicoperator.com/work/rht/activity/

Every state activity item we logged this quarter — 438 items across 48 states — each linked to the exact section of its newsletter brief. Covering briefs from Feb 22 – Jul 2, 2026. Includes a unique view of the program you don’t get anywhere else— a map of the unique strategic personality, program maturity, and rural geography for each state.

This is available to all— no subscription needed.

For all paid subscribers, you get a link to the 50-page RHTP Field Guide PDF and the companion interactive dashboard.

What’s in this quarter’s report

A page for every state, each covering eight things you can’t easily assemble anywhere else:

• Strategic personality — how the state is actually orienting its program, based on my observations of its behavior, not from the narrative they told CMS or Governor press releases

• Program maturity — a five-stage model of how far each state has moved from planning to spending (24 of 50 are now in full-wave procurement)

• Federal money — obligated vs. actually outlaid, per state, according to SAM.gov

• Open Q3 procurements — active solicitations with ceilings and due dates

• This quarter’s activity — every tracked development, linked to the exact section of the post that covered it

• Rural geography — including new rural-hospital footprint maps for 25 states, plotting 1,157 hospitals by facility type

• CMS performance metrics — the four quantifiable outcomes each state committed to, for all 50 states. This is cuing up all of the potential clawback activity later this year

• Key contacts — the Project Director or Principal Investigator named on the CMS Notice of Award, for the 11 states whose awards have been released. This also pulls from the database we’ve built of more than 7,800 people actively involved in RHT implementation work

Read more

• Legislation Watch: Appropriate New Jersey Appropriation

• Louisiana adds slides from yesterday’s RHT webinar

• Colorado Taps State Office of Rural Health to Coach RHTP Applicants

• North Dakota offers School-Based and Hospital-Based Wellness Equipment opportunities

• New York Buys Its RCHI Applicants Five More Days — and Two More Counties

• Pennsylvania lines up FQHC & FQHC Look-Alikes - Modernizing Healthcare Technology and Enabling Interoperability opportunity

• Tennessee publishes $60M Health Technology & Innovation (Long-Range)

• Montana pushes Rural Physician/APP Recruitment, DLI-RFP-2026-0088DL

• Idaho posts two more RHTP solicitations

Legislation Watch: Appropriate New Jersey Appropriation

New Jersey — A5327 (Fiscal Year 2027 Appropriations Act): appropriates $60,743,569,000 in State funds and authorizes $30,495,124,195 in federal funds — the vehicle through which New Jersey receives and spends its $147.3 million first-year Rural Health Transformation Program award, roughly $107 million administered by the Department of Health and $40 million by the Department of Human Services, including sub-grants and Rural Health Transformation-funded staff — signed by Governor Mikie Sherrill with a line-item veto on June 30, 2026 and enacted as P.L.2026, c.27. ROI-NJ, July 1, 2026

Louisiana adds slides from yesterday’s RHT webinar

Louisiana bets $30M that rural Medicaid’s problem is access, not overuse

At its July 2 monthly webinar, Louisiana’s Office of Rural Health Transformation and Sustainability (ORHTS) — which has now absorbed the old State Office of Rural Health — walked providers through the centerpiece of its Innovative Care strategy: a roughly $30 million Year 1 Notice of Funding Opportunity for a rural Medicaid Alternative Payment Model. Written questions are due July 7, applications August 7.

What makes the NOFO notable is the analysis underneath it. Working from a Milliman review of SFY25 Medicaid claims, LDH found rural parishes run about 5% higher per-member-per-year cost than urban ones ($5,730 vs. $5,469) while posting lower inpatient admissions and 14- and 30-day readmissions — a pattern the state reads as a physical-access problem, not an overutilization one. Cardiovascular and psychiatric conditions, at ~20% and ~27% prevalence, drive the bulk of rural chronic spend. The model’s answer is a primary-care-led, provider-owned APM funded through three buckets: one-time practice-transformation payments, ILOS-style clinical activities Medicaid won’t otherwise reimburse, and quality/total-cost-of-care incentives.

Eligibility is pointed: funding flows to Medicaid-enrolled provider entities — ACOs, clinically integrated networks, FQHCs/RHCs, and rural hospital-led partnerships — with the state explicit that vendors (it names Equality Health and Azara as examples) can support implementation but aren’t the default recipients. LDH also framed the effort as complementary to, not overlapping with, its existing Managed Care Incentive Payment and value-based-payment withhold programs.

The APM sits inside an unusually dense procurement window. Louisiana — a top-five national award at $208.4M in Year 1 and roughly $1.4B over the grant — now has NOFOs live for Telehealth Infrastructure and Capital Improvement (both due July 10), Collaborative Provider Models (Aug 5), and Food is Medicine and Regional Care Conveners (both Aug 14). Next up for vendors: a July 7 Virtual Vendor Showcase on APMs, co-hosted with the Louisiana Rural Health Association. The next monthly webinar is August 6.

Colorado Taps State Office of Rural Health to Coach RHTP Applicants

Per email.

Colorado’s Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (HCPF) has awarded the Colorado Rural Health Center (CRHC) — the state’s federally designated State Office of Rural Health — a contract to provide free training and technical assistance to organizations applying for Rural Health Transformation Program funding. The support spans the full application arc: navigating the process, drafting SMART goals, reviewing project workplans, and building realistic budgets, delivered through one-on-one consultations, webinars, office hours, and written guidance. Awardees keep access to CRHC through implementation for help with programmatic and financial reporting, compliance, and workforce development. Prospective applicants can reach the CRHC team at CRHC_RHTP@coruralhealth.org.

HCPF also released a new fact sheet clarifying that, consistent with Colorado Fiscal Rule 3-1, reimbursement remains the default payment method — grantees are generally paid after documenting eligible expenses. Advance payments are available only by case-by-case request, weighed against organizational capacity, financial need, and project risk; applicants must show that reimbursement would genuinely block implementation. A revised Work Plan Template (appendix-only changes) is also now posted.

With applications due August 3, the state’s calendar is dense: a “How to Fill Out the Budget and Scope of Work” webinar on July 8 (2:30–4 p.m.), RFA office hours on July 7, 14, and 16, and an RHTP Advisory Committee meeting on July 27. Colorado’s total RHTP award stands at $200,105,604.17, fully funded by CMS.

North Dakota offers School-Based and Hospital-Based Wellness Equipment opportunities

School-Based Wellness Equipment

Learn more about the School-Based Wellness Equipment funding opportunity. To make the application process easier, the PDF includes the questions applicants must complete when applying for the funding opportunity using Qualtrics. These questions are located in the Application Requirements section. Deadline to apply: July 30, 2026 at 5 p.m. CT

Technical Assistance Call video

Hospital-Based Wellness Equipment

Learn more about the Hospital-Based Wellness Equipment funding opportunity. To make the application process easier, the PDF includes the questions applicants must complete when applying for the funding opportunity using Qualtrics. These questions are located in the Application Requirements section. Deadline to apply: July 30, 2026 at 5 p.m. CT

Technical Assistance Call video

Bonus from busy ND: Electronic Medical Record Enhancement Technical Assistance Call

Read more

In this issue:

• Montana publishes newsletter and schedules Advisory Committee meeting

• New Mexico publishes Rural Health Innovation Fund (RHIF) RFP

• Alabama Opens Five More RHTP NOFOs — $24.2M, Due August 7

• North Dakota publishes Electronic Medical Record Enhancement RFP

• Wisconsin pushes Allocations to Improve Health Services in Rural Wisconsin opportunity

• Vermont out out new NOFO: Centralized Tool to Guide Interfacility Transfers

Montana publishes newsletter and schedules Advisory Committee meeting

Montana staffs up and hosts CMS. Montana’s Rural Health Transformation Program named Michelle McNamee as program director — she comes from the Dept. of Natural Resources, where she ran the state’s $400M ARPA water/sewer grant program. CMS made its first annual site visit May 19–20, touring partners in Flathead, Lake, and Lincoln counties including the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes, St. Luke’s Community Hospital, Northwest Community Health Center, and Logan Health. The program also seated two tribal liaison officers — George “Jay” Ball (Fort Belknap Assiniboine) and Barbara Bessette (Chippewa-Cree) — a notable structural commitment given tribal nations and UIOs are 6.5% of the state’s population. On the workforce front, DLI held its first Initiative 1 stakeholder webinar May 13 and set a quarterly cadence (next meeting July 16). The Stakeholder Advisory Committee meets in Bozeman Aug. 6 (register by July 24). Montana’s total award: $233.5M.

The summer 2026 Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 6 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Please register at the link below by July 24 to attend in Bozeman or virtually: Montana Rural Health Transformation Program Stakeholder Advisory Committee Meeting registration.

New Mexico publishes Rural Health Innovation Fund (RHIF) RFP

On June 30, the New Mexico Health Care Authority released RFP #27-630-1000-0004, making ~$47 million available for implementation-ready rural health projects under the state’s five-part RHT Program.

RHIF is deliberately open-ended — HCA “is not prescribing a single required project model,” inviting providers,

Tribal entities, CBOs, local governments, academic institutions, and technology partners to propose projects spanning non-medical drivers of health, behavioral health, preventive care, equipment/facility upgrades, care-delivery technology, and locally designed service improvements.

Proposals are due July 27 via Submittable, with awards anticipated October 1, 2026. The fund is one slice of New Mexico’s $211.5M total CMS RHT award.

Read more

In this issue:

• Legislation Watch: MO, NJ, CA

• Louisiana posts updates on deadlines

• Maine Advisory Committee meeting is today

• Kansas opens Interfacility Transport Project Request for Applications

• Utah publishes video of RHT webinar + slides

• Rhode Island publishes “Rural Health Transformation Project Procurement and Transparency” info

Legislation Watch: MO, NJ, CA

• Missouri — HB2011: The Fiscal Year 2027 Department of Social Services appropriations bill, funding the MO HealthNet Division that administers Missouri’s $216.3 million first-year Rural Health Transformation Program award — signed by Governor Mike Kehoe on June 30, 2026 as part of the $50.7 billion state budget and delivered to the Secretary of State. KFVS, June 30, 2026

• New Jersey — A5327 / S2027: The Fiscal Year 2027 appropriations act, totaling $60,743,569,000 in State funds and $30,495,124,195 in federal funds and carrying New Jersey’s roughly $147 million Rural Health Transformation Program award administered by the Department of Health — passed both houses on June 30, 2026 (Assembly 58-20, Senate 26-14, with companion Senate Bill 2027 tabled in favor of the Assembly vehicle) and heads to Governor Mikie Sherrill.

• California — AB109 / SB111: The Budget Act of 2026, which carries the appropriation authority for California’s $233.6 million first-year Rural Health Transformation Program award to the Department of Health Care Access and Information — signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on June 29, 2026 and chaptered as Chapter 19 and Chapter 21, Statutes of 2026.

Louisiana posts updates on deadlines

IMPORTANT DATES - BUDGET YEAR 1

Rural Collaborative Provider Models Program

• Deadline to Submit Written Questions: Extended through Monday, July 6, 2026

• Application Submission Deadline for Year 1 Funds: Wednesday, August 5, 2026

Rural Medicaid Alternative Payment Model Program

• Deadline to Submit Written Questions: Tuesday, July 7, 2026

• Application Submission Deadline for Year 1 Funds: Friday, August 7, 2026

Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) Telehealth Infrastructure for Rural Access Program

• Application Submission Deadline for Year 1 Funds: July 10, 2026

Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) Rural Health Facilities Capital Improvement Program

• Application Submission Deadline for Year 1 Funds: July 10, 2026

RHTP Webinar - July 2, 9 am -10 am Webinar

Maine Advisory Committee meeting is today

Maine’s Rural Health Transformation Program Advisory Committee brings together providers, community organizations, Tribal partners, employers, educators, and other partners to help guide program implementation. The Committee provides input on priorities, implementation strategies, and opportunities to strengthen rural health across Maine.

Next Advisory Committee Meeting*:
July 1 - 12:00-1:00pm
Join webinar

*Members of the public are welcome to attend Advisory Committee meetings in listen-mode; public comment will not be taken.

Utah publishes video of RHT webinar + slides

The Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) hosted an informational webinar about Utah’s FAST initiative 4.1: Value-Based Care funding opportunity on Monday 6/29 over Google Meet.

Topics covered:

• Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) basics & background

• Request for Grant Application (RFGA) overview for FAST 4.1: Value-Based Care

  • Application deadline: Wednesday, July 22, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. MT

• Evaluation & award process

• Questions

• Meeting slide deck

Read more

• Oklahoma lists winners of Community-Led Wellness Hubs: Microgrants

• Arkansas officially opens HEART

• Colorado releases fact sheet focused on spending speed

• CMS publishes Rural Teach Catalyst Fund Resource Guide

• New Mexico opens Rural Health Innovation Fund RFP

Oklahoma lists winners of Community-Led Wellness Hubs: Microgrants

On a programming note: last week we added ~2,500 rural hospitals to our database. This allows us to track RHTP awards and impact with more granularity and the ability to track specific awards across the country.

Arkansas officially opens HEART

Arkansas — HEART applications open. Arkansas opened its Healthy Eating, Active Recreation, and Transformation (HEART) funding round on June 29, the last of its four RHTP initiative tracks to go live. HEART carries roughly $27.6M in Year 1 (about $151.9M over five years) for community-driven nutrition, physical-activity, and chronic-disease-prevention work in rural counties. Eligible applicants span nonprofits, hospitals and FQHCs, higher-ed, and faith-based organizations; applications are due July 31. With HEART live, all four Arkansas tracks — PACT, THRIVE, RISE AR, and HEART — are now in market, distributing the state’s $209M FY26 award.

Colorado releases fact sheet focused on spending speed

Colorado just published the clearest statement yet of a tension every state in the Rural Health Transformation Program is quietly managing: the money moves on reimbursement, but the providers who need it most can’t float the cash to wait for it.

In a new HCPF fact sheet, Colorado spells out that its default — like most states — is to pay grantees after they’ve spent and documented the money, not before. That is downstream of how CMS structured the program: federal RHTP dollars are drawn down as eligible expenditures are incurred and reported. States aren’t sitting on a pile of cash to hand out; they’re fronting their own money ahead of the federal draw. And if an advance-funded expense is later ruled ineligible, the state eats the loss.

Colorado writes that CMS has signaled expenditure rates are “a significant indicator of program performance and sustainability,” and that failing to obligate and spend on time “may adversely affect future funding availability.”

It’s well-established that RJTP is a use-it-or-lose-it program. The states that can’t get money out the door fast may see their future-year share at risk — which puts every state under pressure to spend quickly, exactly when its undercapitalized rural hospitals, EMS agencies, and Tribal clinics can least afford to wait for reimbursement.

Colorado’s answer is a time-limited fix: the State Controller approved a waiver of Fiscal Rule 3-1, letting the state make case-by-case advance payments through June 30, 2027 — documented need, minimum amount necessary, clawback authority, the works. After that, the blanket waiver goes away. It’s a thoughtful, specific solution to a problem every state shares.

Read more

• Legislation Watch: California’s HCAI gets more power

• North Dakota hosts assistance calls

• New York extends RCHI deadline to July 14, 2026

• Utah posts June 26 webinar slides and recording. Here’s upshots on leadership, structure, and schedule

• Oklahoma lists funding recipients

• New Hampshire publishes Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) Hardware, Software & Training RFP

• Kansas clarifies Food As Medicine via CHW+AFIM | 6/4/2026 Webinar FAQlink

• Kentucky posts EMS Transformation Request for Information (RFA) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Legislation Watch: California’s HCAI gets more power

California — AB111 / SB111 (Budget Act of 2026): companion budget bills appropriating California’s federal Rural Health Transformation Program money through the Department of Health Care Access and Information, payable from the Federal Trust Fund — the June 26, 2026 author’s amendments raised the program’s state-operations appropriation (budget element 3861) from $11,396,000 to $18,764,000 and its local-assistance appropriation from $114,968,000 to $205,984,000, and authorized the Department to execute or amend Rural Health Transformation grants and contracts through June 30, 2028, including with a third-party nonprofit and exempt from standard state procurement review. Both bills were amended and re-referred to their fiscal committees on June 26, 2026 — Assembly Bill 111 to the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee, Senate Bill 111 to the Assembly Budget Committee — and remain in the committee process.

Sources:

• California AB111 action history — California State Legislature

• California SB111 action history — California State Legislature

North Dakota to host assistance calls

Hospital-Based Wellness Equipment funding opportunity

July 1, 2026, noon-12:45 p.m. CT Registration

Anticipated posting: June 29, 2026
Anticipated deadline to apply: July 30, 2026 at 5 p.m. CT

School-Based Wellness Equipment funding opportunity

July 1, 2026, 3-3:45 p.m. CT, Registration

Anticipated posting: June 29, 2026
Anticipated deadline to apply: July 30, 2026 at 5 p.m. CT

New York extends RCHI deadline to July 14, 2026

Utah posts June 26 webinar slides and recording. Here’s upshots on leadership, structure, and schedule

Q: why attend webinars on a summer Friday when you can get fresh intel and detailed analysis over Saturday coffee?

Read more

• Legislation Watch: AK

• Louisiana posts webinar slides from June 4

• West Virginia posts Upcoming Funding Opportunities image

• North Carolina: analysis of Wednesday June 24 webinar

• Utah updates FAST 4.1: Value-Based Care Models packet

• Minnesota posts RHTP Rural Clinical Rotations Expansion Grant Program RFP

Legislation Watch: AK

Alaska — HB263: The Fiscal Year 2027 state operating budget, which appropriates $272,174,855.72 in federal Rural Health Transformation Program receipts to the Department of Health — Alaska’s roughly $272 million first-year award is the second-largest in the nation, behind only Texas — was signed into law by Governor Mike Dunleavy on June 24, 2026 as Chapter 34, Session Laws of Alaska 2026, with line-item vetoes totaling about $90 million; the bill (conference substitute CCS HB 263) is now enacted with effective dates set in the chapter. Your Alaska Link, June 25, 2026

Louisiana posts webinar slides from June 4

These slides had not been posted until yesterday.

Louisiana’s June 4 monthly RHTP webinar quietly tripled the state’s deal flow. When the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) issued its first Notice of Funding Opportunity in May — the $5.63M Rural Clinician Credit Bank — it read as a one-off. The June 4 webinar deck, now posted to the program page, confirms it was the opening act. Two more Year 1 NOFOs went live June 1, a vendor-facing Tech Catalyst Fund is taking its first cohort, and LDH is now openly coaching providers to combine awards rather than choose between them.

This is the new Office of Rural Health Transformation and Sustainability (ORHTS) operationalizing Louisiana’s $208.4M Year 1 CMS award at speed. Here is what is actually on the table and where to apply.

The two NOFOs still open

Both opened June 1, both run on the same clock, and both close July 10, 2026 for Year 1 funds. Written questions were extended through June 12, with evaluation running late July into early August and Notice of Intent to Contract announcements following on roughly the same window.

Rural Health Facilities Capital Improvement Program — $39.9M (Initiative 5, Sustainable Access). The largest opportunity in the current slate. It funds targeted capital investment to strengthen rural healthcare infrastructure, expand access, and sustain innovative care models. LDH is explicit that it will prioritize “ready-to-implement” projects that deliver measurable outcomes — this is not a planning grant, and shovel-readiness is the scoring edge. Full announcement · Q&A.

Telehealth Infrastructure for Rural Access Program — $5M (Initiative 4, MRAHA). Targeted investment in telehealth infrastructure to raise access to specialty, behavioral health, prenatal, and chronic care across underserved parishes. Smaller, but the most directly addressable opportunity for technology and connectivity vendors working through a provider partner. Full announcement.

Both NOFOs are funded through Cooperative Endeavor Agreements and require a project narrative with measurable outcomes and a sustainability plan, a budget and budget narrative, and — for the competitive opportunities — scoring criteria and in-kind activity. All applicants must clear LDH’s rural eligibility methodology, and the full funding-opportunities hub lives here.

The one that just closed

The Rural Clinician Credit Bank — $5.63M (Initiative 1, Workforce) — closed for Year 1 applications on June 25, the day before this writing. It reimburses rural employers for sign-on, retention, relocation, and training payments to clinicians on a five-year service commitment, with caps from $75,000 per physician down to $10,000 for nursing assistants. Two design features are worth remembering as the model for what follows: a declining federal match (75% in Years 1–2, 50% in Years 3–4, 25% by Year 5) and a graduated clinician clawback. Notices of Intent to Contract are expected early-to-mid July. The NOFO remains the clearest signal of how ORHTS engineers sustainability into every strategy rather than funding five straight years of subsidy.

The vendor door: Tech Catalyst Fund, Cohort 1 open

The webinar’s most consequential disclosure for technology companies: the Rural Tech Catalyst Fund is taking Cohort 1 applications now. Eligibility is narrow and deliberate — rural-healthcare technology companies with under $50M raised, under 10 years in operation, and a US base. The fund channels dollars to vendors to facilitate pilots with rural providers, with announcements expected by August after a financial due-diligence pass in July.

The mechanics matter. Company applications start with an interest form at la.io/rural; a link to the full application is then sent by invitation only after an evaluation committee requests additional information. Rural providers do not apply here — LDH wants providers to expect vendor outreach for partnerships, and any organization that wants to host a pilot site should contact ORHTS directly at Beth.Morgan@la.gov.

This is the same intent telegraphed in the eligibility rules, where Louisiana’s unusual RUCA-based patient-serving pathway lets an organization qualify as “rural” if more than 50% of its patients live in rural ZIP codes — regardless of where the organization sits. Telehealth providers, mobile operators, and regional hubs in Baton Rouge or New Orleans are squarely invited.

LDH wants you to stack

The most actionable strategic note from June 4 is that LDH is no longer treating these as either/or. Providers may apply for multiple RHTP opportunities and are encouraged to design them to work together. LDH’s own worked example pairs three of them: a $500,000 Alternative Payment Model award, a $250,000 Tech Catalyst Fund partner contribution, and $300,000 in Telehealth Infrastructure — with a target outcome of cutting time-to-next-available-appointment by five days. The lesson for anyone building a Louisiana play: a single application leaves money and leverage on the table.

On the calendar

The next monthly webinar is Thursday, July 2 (9–10 a.m.). A Virtual Vendor Showcase on Alternative Payment Models runs July 7, 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m., in partnership with the Louisiana Rural Hospital Association — the venue to watch for APM partnership signals ahead of any future APM NOFO. The June 11 Rural Health Transformation Summit in Natchitoches has now passed, but it was framed as a relationship-building event between providers, vendors, and healthcare leaders, and the partnerships seeded there will surface in the Tech Catalyst cohort and the APM showcase.

Bottom line: two NOFOs worth $44.9M close July 10, a vendor catalyst fund is live with August decisions, and LDH is explicitly rewarding applicants who combine them. The window is short and the design favors organizations that move now.

Sources: RHTP Funding Opportunities (LDH); Rural Health Facilities Capital Improvement NOFO; Telehealth Infrastructure for Rural Access NOFO; Rural Clinician Credit Bank NOFO; Rural Eligibility Definition and Methodology; ORHTS June 4, 2026 monthly webinar deck; Rural Tech Catalyst Fund interest form (la.io/rural).

Read more

Florida legislation watch

HB 5001-E (General Appropriations Act): The $113.575 billion Fiscal Year 2027 General Appropriations Act, which carries the Agency for Health Care Administration's spending authority to expend Florida's $209 million first-year federal Rural Health Transformation Program award — signed by the presiding officers and presented to Governor Ron DeSantis on June 23, 2026. Awaiting the Governor's action.

Tennessee out with RAMP — adjacent to RHTP

The Rural Healthcare Access Modernization Program (RAMP) supports innovative projects that expand healthcare access and strengthen healthcare delivery in rural Tennessee communities. Through modernization efforts, infrastructure improvements, and technology-enabled solutions, RAMP helps address healthcare challenges and improve access to care for rural residents.

California launches dedicated CalRHT page: see analysis & review

HCAI gave CalRHT its own home at hcai.ca.gov/rural-health/calrht, separate from the older California State Office of Rural Health (CalSORH) page, which still exists for the FLEX/CAH, SHIP, and J-1 programs. A standalone hub with its own contact inbox (CalRHT@hcai.ca.gov) is the kind of move a state makes right before it starts pushing procurement volume through it. Worth bookmarking and watching.

The headline figure is unchanged: California’s Budget Period 1 award is $233,639,308.46, 100% CMS/HHS funded.

Mark July 28: the first Rural Health Policy Council meeting

The page now lists a Rural Health Policy Council (RHPC) Meeting on July 28, 2026, with registration details “coming soon.” This is the public forum where CalRHT implementation gets discussed, so it is the next real governance signal on the calendar.

If you want a seat at that table, the Q&A spells out how: the HCAI Director appoints RHPC members starting in Spring or Summer 2026, and interested stakeholders can email a resume and an expression of interest to CalRHT@hcai.ca.gov.

The Spring Webinar Q&A: what it adds beyond the slides

HCAI posted a Questions and Answers document (dated May 7, 2026) covering the April 21 Spring Webinar. It runs 11 sections. The recording and slides I analyzed earlier laid out the initiatives and the timeline; the Q&A is where the eligibility and allowable-use lines get drawn. The ones that matter most for positioning:

Eligibility is broader than people assume

• Out-of-state organizations can apply directly — no California partner required — as long as they can meet California contracting requirements and deliver services in rural California. Partnering with a rural California organization is “encouraged,” not required. This phrase repeats throughout the document.

• County public health departments cannot be primary recipients of RHTP funds. Per CMS guidance, they may only participate as State-selected partners or subrecipients.

• Fiscally sponsored organizations are eligible through an eligible fiscal sponsor that assumes legal and financial responsibility.

• “Rural serving” is defined by who benefits, not where you sit. Eligibility is keyed to the HRSA Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer, and urban-based providers serving rural patients can qualify with documented rural impact.

• No automatic preference for “super rural” areas, though high-need communities tend to score better.

Allowable use: the hard “no” list

• Broadband expansion is not a permissible use. Telehealth proposals should focus on clinical technology tools and workflows, not building connectivity.

• No direct patient care. Funds may not pay physicians, hospitals, or clinical providers for billable services, and must be non-duplicative and non-supplanting.

• Provider payments are capped at 15% of the total award. CalRHT will not create new billing codes; reimbursement policy is a separate track.

• Allowable uses and restrictions are itemized on pages 18–22 of the CMS NOFO — the single most useful page reference in the document.

• Mobile care equipment, including non-emergency medical vans, can be eligible when tied to an approved care-delivery model rather than general transportation.

Process mechanics worth planning around

• Each RFA application window will be at least 30 calendar days.

• First-year funds are released on a rolling basis as each awardee completes contracting — not all at once.

• No carryover beyond the budget period. Budget Period 1 funds must be obligated by October 30, 2026 and spent by September 30, 2027; unspent funds get identified by CMS and redistributed to other states.

• Multiple awardees per county are allowed.

• You do not need all partners identified or contracted at submission.

• An external evaluator is not required, though allowed.

Two timing signals for technology vendors

• The Rural Technical Assistance Center (RTAC) is expected to launch late 2026 or early 2027, and will help rural organizations identify and vet vendors — though the state will not endorse or select specific vendors.

• For Technology & Tools applications, HCAI points applicants to EHR modernization, health information exchange, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle management as fundable categories, and directs everyone to the Project Narrative and Budget Narrative for the Transformative Care Model and Accelerator Partner detail.

What to do now

Three moves while you wait for the RFAs: get on the CalRHT mailing list so RFA drops hit your inbox; if you want influence, send a resume to CalRHT@hcai.ca.gov for RHPC consideration before the Director appoints members this summer; and pressure-test your proposal against pages 18–22 of the CMS NOFO before you write a word, because the “no” list is where most ineligible ideas die.

Read more

• Legislation Watch: CA and DE

• West Virginia launches Health to Prosperity - Expanding Worksite Clinics for On-the-Job Support

• Arkansas publishes $28M HEART NOFO

• Deep Dive: Delaware. Approach, initiatives, on the horizon, and more

Legislation Watch: CA and DE

California — AB109: The Budget Act of 2026, authored by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, appropriates $11,396,000 to a dedicated "Rural Health Transformation" line (Schedule 2 of Item 4140-001-0890, payable from the Federal Trust Fund) within the Department of Health Care Access and Information, and authorizes the Department to execute grants and contracts pursuant to the federal Rural Health Transformation Program through June 30, 2028 — passed both chambers and was enrolled and presented to Governor Gavin Newsom at 11 p.m. on June 15, 2026 (Assembly concurrence 60–19; Senate 28–9). Now at the Governor for action.

Delaware — HB305: Creates the Delaware Diabetes Wellness Pilot Program within the Department of Health and Social Services, a three-year observational study pairing a Delaware health system with a technology partner to test, measure, manage, and incentivize diabetic patients and their providers to improve outcomes and lower costs, with the program explicitly funded through the Federal Rural Health Transformation Program (the synopsis names the program as the funding source and waives the fiscal note on that basis) — passed the House of Representatives on June 16, 2026 by a vote of 39 to 0 with 2 absent, House Amendment 1 adopted by voice vote the same day, and was assigned to the Senate Health & Social Services Committee on June 16, 2026. Currently awaiting consideration in the Senate Health & Social Services Committee.

Read more

1. Louisiana review: three vehicles all due soon

2. West Virginia publishes Data Spine RFP— get the car gassed up for Charleston

3. Oklahoma pushes Doula RFI

Louisiana review: three vehicles all due soon

Rural Clinician Credit Bank, Budget Year 1

• Full Announcement

• RHTP: Rural Eligibility Definition and Methodology

• RCCB Projected Financial Support Schedule

Telehealth Infrastructure for Rural Access Program

Makes $5 million available in BY1, with awards of $50,000 to $500,000, to fund one-time telehealth build-outs in underserved parishes — remote patient monitoring, specialty and behavioral consults, maternal and chronic-care access, and care coordination. Applicants must tie each investment to measurable outcomes like shorter specialist wait times, fewer no-shows, and lower avoidable ED use.

• Full Announcement

• RHTP: Rural Eligibility Definition and Methodology

• Budget Workbook Telehealth Infrastructure

• Submit Questions for the Telehealth Infrastructure Funding Opportunity

The Rural Health Facilities Capital Improvement Program

With $39.9 million available, with awards ranging $100,000 to $10 million. It backs ready-to-implement capital projects — facility renovation, equipment modernization, and scalable care-delivery models — aimed at expanding access and shoring up long-term sustainability for rural providers.

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• Legislation Watch: Delaware legislates two RHT programs

• Utah reopens RISE 2.2: Rural Clinical Preceptor Stipend Program

• New Mexico extends Healthy Horizons deadline; posts amendment and FAQ

• Vermont Posts Two Paired RHT Subrecipient Grants: Regional Care Redesign and Facility Upgrades

Legislation Watch: Delaware legislates two RHT programs

• Delaware — HB305: Creates the Delaware Diabetes Wellness Pilot Program within the Department of Health and Social Services, a three-year observational study pairing a Delaware health system with a technology partner to test, measure, and incentivize diabetic “well care” over reactive “sick care,” with the bill’s text stating the pilot is to be federally funded through the Rural Health Transformation Program — passed the House 39 to 0 on June 16, 2026 and assigned the same day to the Senate Health & Social Services Committee, where it awaits consideration.

• Delaware — HJR13: Directs the Department of Labor, with the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Social Services, to study creating a Delaware Healthcare Apprenticeship Degree Program that places aspiring clinicians in paid clinical positions while they credential, and requires the study to consider how the program could be funded through Delaware’s Rural Health Transformation Program award and run in coordination with the competitive awards the Department of Health and Social Services makes under that program, with findings due to the Governor and the General Assembly by May 1, 2027 — introduced and assigned to the House Administration Committee on June 16, 2026.

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• Illinois passes budget including RHTP funds

• Iowa adds a Healthy Hometowns Dashboard

• Montana: Last day to take the RHT technology surveys

• New York schedules webinar

• Utah posts major updates to PATH Initiative 1.5: Behavioral Health–Primary Care Integration

• Colorado opens RFA Portal

• Tennesse posts RFA updates and launches RFA #34320-19326 Establishing the Tennessee Memory Care Assessment Network (MCAN)

Illinois passes budget including RHTP funds

Illinois — HB0111: The omnibus Fiscal Year 2027 appropriations bill, carrying the spending authority for Illinois’s $193.4 million annual Rural Health Transformation Program award — which the Department of Healthcare and Family Services administers to strengthen rural health care infrastructure — passed both chambers June 1, 2026 and was signed by Governor JB Pritzker on June 16, 2026, taking effect that day (some provisions effective July 1, 2026). Now Public Act 104-0464. Capitol News Illinois, June 16, 2026

Sources:

• Illinois HB0111 action history — Illinois General Assembly

• Capitol News Illinois — Pritzker signs FY2027 state budget, June 16, 2026 — capitolnewsillinois.com

Iowa adds a Healthy Hometowns Dashboard

Montana: Last day to take the RHT technology surveys

We are seeking input from health care CEOs, COOs, CTOs, physicians or clinic owners, and organizational decision makers to help shape the future of rural health technology in our state.

We are conducting two brief surveys to better understand current Electronic Health Record (EHR) and Health Information Exchange (HIE) capabilities, needs, and funding priorities under the Rural Health Transformation Program.

Survey results will directly inform:

• EHR modernization for rural providers

• Improved use and exchange of health information

• Future rural health technology investments

The surveys will be live until June 19, 2026 at the links below:

1. HIE Service Status and Usability

2. EHR Readiness Assessment

New York schedules webinar

Tuesday, June 23, 2026 11:00 AM

Watch the webinar

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• Oklahoma posts video and slides from yesterday’s RHTP Touchpoint Webinar

• Kansas posts materials from KHRIA Meeting

• Idaho roundup: current offerings and slides from DHW Lobbyist and Stakeholder Call

• Ohio out with Rural Hospital Peer Group Funding Opportunity

Oklahoma posts video and slides from yesterday’s RHTP Touchpoint Webinar

June 17, 2026 RHTP Touchpoint Webinar

• Recording

• Presentation

Oklahoma obligates ~70% of its $223.5M Year 1 RHTP award

At its June 17 virtual touchpoint, OSDH reported $84.3M obligated and $71.8M in contracting, with $67.4M still moving through competitive procurement. Seven solicitations totaling over $46M have launched. Microgrants closed first — nearly $4M to 69 of 75 rural counties from 349 applications. Rural Regional Reorientation ($20M) and Chronic Disease Management ($15M) closed in mid-June with awards expected by early August and end of July respectively. Now open: Behavioral Health Integration ($2.8M, closes July 10) and EMS/Community Paramedicine Vehicles ($3.7M, closes July 20). Still to come this summer: a community-paramedicine technical-assistance RFP (fall), school-based services via OSDE, and a doula-expansion NOFO. OSDH hosts a CMS site visit Aug 4–5 and files its first annual report Aug 30 — the document that determines Year 2 funding. Program leads: Lisa Rother and Jackie Kanak.

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