The Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) plans to submit a grant application to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in response to the federal Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), identifiable by federal grant number CMS-RHT-26-001. EOHHS expects to utilize the resources available to the agency, including through the MassHealth program operated by EOHHS, and through coordination with the Department of Public Health (DPH) and other relevant agencies, to develop and facilitate program activities proposed through its grant application, if approved by CMS. This CMS funding opportunity aims to help state governments “support rural communities across America in improving healthcare access, quality, and outcomes by transforming the healthcare delivery ecosystem.” States will help rural communities meet the following strategic goals, described in more detail in the NOFO: Make rural America healthy again: Support preventive health and address the root causes of disease. Sustainable access: Help rural providers become long-term access points for care by improving efficiency and sustainability. Workforce development: Attract and retain a high-skilled health care workforce by strengthening recruitment and retention of healthcare providers in rural communities. Innovative care: Spark the growth of innovative care models to improve health outcomes, coordinate care, and promote flexible care arrangements. Tech innovation: Foster use of innovative technologies that promote efficient care delivery, data security, and access to digital health tools by rural facilities, providers, and patients.
