Arizona launches RHTP Hub, Kansas EPB webinar, California workforce development. Legislation Watch for ID, HI, MS, and WV
Rural Health Transformation Program Brief, March 31, 2026
Arizona launches Health Care Cost Containment System RHTP hub
Gearing up for active solicitations.
Funding Opportunities
How Arizona Is Distributing RHTP Funds
Beginning in Spring 2026, Arizona will use a range of competitive and direct award grant programs to distribute RHTP funding to organizations doing work on the ground.
Types of Funding Mechanisms
Requests for Grant Applications (RGAs) — competitive, open solicitations for eligible organizations
Cooperative Agreements — collaborative funding arrangements for larger, multi-year partnerships
Intergovernmental Agreements (IGAs) — formal agreements with Tribal governments, local health departments, and other state agencies
Contract Amendments — modifications to existing agreements with managed care plans and established providers
Multi-Tier Grants — we’re designing flexible awards with grant tiers as small as $10,000 and up so organizations of all sizes can apply.
Also published the AHCCCS Grants Initiatives page.
Kansas publishes info from yesterday’s Evidence-Based Practice Program webinar
EBP Program Introductory Webinar: March 30, 2026 Meeting
It goes pretty deep into Eligibility Determinations.
Washington calls out for Advisory Committee Members
Apply for the Rural Health Transformation Program Advisory Committee
As part of Washington state’s Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program, we’re organizing an advisory committee (AC). The RHT-AC will help prioritize projects, make policy recommendations, and play a driving role for the RHT Program.
If you have experience in health care or public health, as well as passion for improving systems, we encourage you to apply. Your work could make all the difference for rural Washingtonians.
Apply by Friday, April 17:
Email your resume and cover letter to HCA Rural Health Transformation Program
California covers RHTP in Workforce Education and Training Council meeting
New to me (discovered via HCAI newsletter).
The March 4, 2026 meeting of the California Health Workforce Education and Training Council covered RHTP. From the agenda:
This session will provide an overview of HCAI’s proposal and highlight key proposed activities which includes transformative care, technology and tools, and workforce development.
Presenter: Hovik Khosrovian, Senior Policy Advisor, HCAI; Lemeneh Tefera, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Director for Clinical Innovation, HCAI
Legislation Watch
Idaho S1264: Establishes the Idaho Rural Health Transformation Fund in the state treasury and creates a Rural Health Transformation Committee to direct and provide legislative oversight of the state’s RHTP allocation — nearly $185 million in first-year funding that must be awarded by October 30 or be returned to the federal government. The bill is one of three competing RHTP governance vehicles in the Idaho legislature this session, alongside H0862 and H0916, and differs primarily in committee composition requirements, including a mandate that members represent rural districts. It passed the Senate and was read for the first time in the House, where it was referred to the Health & Welfare Committee. (Idaho State Legislature)
Hawaii SCR27: Urges Maui Health to collaborate with community stakeholders to establish a full-time medical residency program on Maui, explicitly citing Hawaii’s $188.9 million RHTP award as “an immediate and critical financial pathway” to cover the high startup costs. The resolution responds to a 41 percent physician shortage in Maui County — a deficit of roughly 179 full-time equivalent physicians — worsened by the 2023 wildfires that destroyed West Maui healthcare facilities and displaced medical workers. The Senate HHS Committee recommended passage with amendments on a 4-0 vote (one excused). (LegiScan)
Hawaii SR24: A Senate-only companion to SCR27 with identical language urging the Maui residency program and the same explicit reference to RHTP funding. It received the same 4-0 favorable recommendation from the HHS Committee. Track alongside SCR27 — whichever vehicle advances further will carry the policy signal. (LegiScan)
Mississippi HB1067: Requires vendors, subcontractors, and entities receiving goods-and-services contracts under Mississippi’s $206 million RHTP allocation to be selected through a competitive bidding process — covering statewide health needs assessments, medical equipment procurement, workforce programming, and health information system design. The bill gives priority to vendors located in CMS-designated super-rural ZIP codes and counties outside metropolitan statistical areas. It died in conference after the chambers could not reconcile differences, though companion bill SB2477 containing similar competitive-bidding language was sent to the governor. (Mississippi Today)
West Virginia HB4951: Requires MDs and DOs to incorporate two hours of nutrition-focused continuing medical education into their existing license renewal requirements (50 hours per two years for MDs, 32 for DOs) — a policy pledge West Virginia made in its RHTP application to CMS to secure a larger discretionary allocation. The bill passed the House 58-35 and the Senate 34-0, completing all legislative action on March 14, and was approved by the Governor on March 27. (West Virginia Watch)