Rural Health Transformation Program Request for Information

DHS is seeking information to inform Wisconsin’s application for the new Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP). The application must align with the required use categories and eligibility criteria defined by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). DHS intends to pursue a comprehensive approach to meet the needs of Wisconsin communities. We invite the submission of ideas, insights, considerations, and project concepts aligned with the goals of the RHTP.

Each state must propose three or more activities it plans to pursue through the Rural Health Transformation Program from the following list:

1. Recruit and retain clinical workforce talent to rural areas, with a 5-year commitment
2. Provide payments to providers for health care items or services
3. Develop projects that support innovative models of care (value-based care, alternative payments)
4. Promote sustainable access to high quality rural health care services
5. Assist rural communities to right size their health care delivery systems (preventative, ambulatory, pre-hospital, emergency, acute inpatient care, outpatient care, and post-acute care services)
6. Support access to opioid use disorder treatment, substance use treatment, and mental health services
7. Provide training and technical assistance to develop and adopt technology-enabled solutions to improve care delivery in rural hospitals (remote monitoring, robotics, AI)
8. Provide technical assistance, software, and hardware for IT advances to improve efficiency, enhance cybersecurity capacity, and improve health outcomes
9. Promote consumer-facing, technology-driven solutions for the prevention and management of chronic diseases
10. Promote evidence-based, measurable intervention to improve prevention and chronic disease management

DHS welcomes responses from any interested party. Respondents are encouraged to consider how their input may align with local or regional efforts, and where appropriate, to collaborate with other organizations serving the same communities or populations.

This includes but is not limited to:

• Behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment providers
• Community-based organizations
• Educational institutions and health care workforce programs
• Emergency Medical Services (EMS) organizations
• Federally Qualified Health Centers and rural health clinics
• Hospitals and health systems
• Local governments
• Rural resident, patients, and advocates
• Tribal health organizations
• Potential vendors, such as software companies or information technology platforms

Questions related to the request for information (RFI) were due to DHS by 2 p.m. CST on August 18, 2025.

Responses are due by 2 p.m. CST on September 3, 2025. There are two ways to submit a response to this RFI. Respondents can submit a response either through email to DHSProcurement@dhs.wisconsin.gov, or through the eSupplier system.

Resources

• Webinars were held on August 14 and 15. To learn more, view the presentation for information.
• A list of the questions we received and the answers are available to view in this FAQs reference.

Questions?

Please direct all communication related to this RFI to: DHSProcurement@dhs.wisconsin.gov.

The RFI is posted on eSupplier as S-1833 OS-26.