Rural Health Transformation Program
The Rural Health Transformation Program offers an opportunity for Washington state to support sustainable health care initiatives for rural communities that expand access, enhance quality of care, and improve outcomes.
September webinar
Join us for a webinar on the RHT Program. We’ll discuss how Washington State is using RHT funds to expand access, enhance quality of care, and improve health outcomes in rural Washington.
Wednesday, September 16
1–2 p.m.
The Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program is part of the H.R.1 budget reconciliation bill. The RHT Program offers $50 billion funding nationwide to improve rural health care. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) administers the program.
In this first year, CMS awarded Washington state about $181 million. These funds will support the hospitals, clinics, and providers that rural families rely on every day.
The Health Care Authority (HCA), Department of Health (DOH), and Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS)—in support of Governor Ferguson’s Office—partnered to develop and run Washington state’s RHT plan.
Goals
Six initiatives guide the RHT Program:
- Develop community-based health care options to help rural residents access the right level of care at the right time.
- Invest in the health of Native families.
- Invest in technology that increases efficiency, access, and quality in Washington’s rural health care system, helping rural Washingtonians get specialty care and monitor chronic conditions.
- Invest in long-term solutions to give rural Washingtonians better access to high-quality specialty and emergency medical care.
- Grow, train, and maintain the health care workforce in rural Washington.
- Expand and sustain Washington’s rural behavioral health system, decreasing the strain on rural hospitals and school-based behavioral health care services.
Events
Upcoming webinar: September 16
Join us for our upcoming webinar to learn how Washington State is using RHT funds to expand access, enhance quality of care, and improve health outcomes in rural Washington.
Agenda
- Washington State RHT initiatives
- Use of RHT funds so far
- Program updates since the April webinar
- Resources and next steps
Date and time
Wednesday, September 16
1–2 p.m.
Register for the webinar.
Submit questions
During the meeting, we’ll answer questions submitted in advance. Email your questions to the Washington RHT Program by Friday, September 11. Please include “webinar question” in your subject line. Questions may be batched by topic.
Accommodation requests
Communication Access Real-time Transcription (CART) services, or live closed captioning, are available for events, on demand. To request this accommodation, please send a request by email as soon as possible.
For other language access accommodations, call 1-855-682-0787 (or Telecommunications Relay Service 711).
All meetings sponsored by HCA meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. Read HCA’s nondiscrimination statement for more details.
Meeting recording
If you can’t join us for the meeting, you can still catch up on the RHT Program updates. We’ll share the meeting recording on our resources page after the webinar.
News and updates
RNEP Informational Webinar for Potential Community Partners
As part of the RHT Program, DOH’s Rural Nursing Education Program (RNEP) is looking to partner with Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) to address the rural nursing shortage by using the “grow-your-own” model. Through this approach, students employed by CAHs earn their Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) after completing online coursework and clinical training in their home communities.
Join RNEP for an informational webinar on to explore the program, understand the community partner role and expectations, and learn how to apply. The application cycle will be open from September 10 through October 2.
Tuesday, September 15
11 a.m.–1 p.m.
Register for the RNEP webinar.
Disclaimer: This program is supported by CMS/HHS through a subaward as part of a financial assistance award of $181,257,515.06 to the Washington State Health Care Authority with $3,500,000 and 80 percent funded by CMS/HHS and $914,538 and 20 percent funded by other source(s). The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, CMS/HHS or the U.S. Government.
Extension for rural health funding opportunity
We’re accepting a second round of applications for the Opioid Treatment Programs (OTP) Workforce Incentive Program until September 8 at 2 p.m.
If you’ve already applied, we’ll evaluate your application as soon as possible. You don’t need to resubmit.
If you were interested in this opportunity but couldn’t prepare an application for the first round, we encourage you to apply now.
Go to HCA’s bids and contracts page to view the application details. For more opportunities, see this guide on how to participate in the RHT Program.
Email announcements
Sign up for email updates about the RHT Program.
| Date | Title |
|---|---|
| September 3, 2026 | Save the date for our Rural Health Transformation Program webinar |
| August 27, 2026 | Rural Health Transformation Advisory Committee |
| August 6, 2026 | Extensions for rural health funding opportunities |
| July 29, 2026 | CORRECTION: New funding opportunity for rural health |
| July 22, 2026 | New opportunities for rural health transformation |
Disclaimer: This program is supported by CMS/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.
