What we’re working on

Initiatives and activities

Our roadmap, Washington’s RHT Project Narrative, details six initiatives. Each initiative is an area of rural health care we seek to support. Activities are the different areas of work that will help us reach the goals for the initiatives. Dozens of sub-awardees will carry out the activities with full or partial support from RHT funding.

1: Ignite innovation in Washington’s rural hospitals

This initiative improves how rural hospitals operate. Investing in long-term solutions will give rural Washingtonians better access to high-quality specialty and emergency medical care.

Sub-awardees:

• The Rural Collaborative
• Rural Health Redesign Center
• Washington State Hospital Association

2: Prevent disease and manage care in community settings

This initiative focuses on bringing health care into rural communities, beyond the walls of the doctor’s office. These community-based solutions will help rural residents access the right level of care at the right time.

Sub-awardees:

• Community health workers
• Long-term care workers
• Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs)
• AAA Mobile Assistance Van
• Washington Medical Coordination Center
• Care-a-Van
• 211

3: Invest in the health of Native families

This initiative reserves a portion of RHT Program funds for sovereign Tribal Governments to make critical investments to improve the health and wellbeing of Native families.

Sub-awardees:

• Sovereign Tribal Governments

4: Adopt technology and data solutions to enable health improvements

This initiative invests in technology that increases efficiency, access, and quality in Washington’s rural health care system. These improvements will help rural Washingtons get specialty care and monitor chronic conditions.

Sub-awardees:

• The University of Washington’s School of Medicine’s Project ECHO
• Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho regional collaborative (WWAMI)’s Family Medicine Residency Network

5: Develop Washington’s rural workforce to support rural communities

This initiative grows, trains, and maintains the health care workforce in rural Washington. With a larger and increasingly skilled workforce, rural Washington can better support individuals with long-term care needs.

Sub-awardees:

• Washington State University rural practitioner training programs
• Rural Nursing Education Program

6: Expand and sustain Washington’s rural behavioral health system

This initiative improves standards for behavioral health care and gets people into care faster. Mobile crisis support will decrease strain on rural hospitals and school-based behavioral health care services will better support rural youth.

Sub-awardees:

• Behavioral health administrative service organizations
• Certified community behavioral health clinics
• Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
• Rural opioid treatment providers

Disclaimer: This program is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as a financial assistance award totaling $181,257,515.06 with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, CMS/HHS or the U.S. Government.