Coordinating Care Across Wisconsin: Innovating Healthcare Through Partnership Grants
Funding opportunity summary
This five-year grant funding opportunity is intended to catalyze innovative healthcare service models through partnerships across communities, systems, and sectors in rural Wisconsin. Through these grants, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) aims to address those points in a care continuum where community members are most likely to experience barriers to health-related services or fall out of care, and to directly address fragmented systems of care. Applicants may apply to multiple Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) funding opportunities for which their organizations are eligible.
Application phases
Applications for funding will be released in two distinct phases:
- Phase 1: Planning grant. Applicants will submit a letter of application for an initial six-month planning or pilot grant. The planning period will provide an opportunity for awardees to receive technical assistance for application development, build a strong foundation for program implementation, and develop strong partnership models. We recognize that programs may be at different stages of development, from initial idea generation to ready-to-go projects and partnerships. We welcome a range of planning period activities.
- Phase 2: Full award. Planning grant awardees will be eligible to submit an application for a full award covering the remaining four-year grant period. The full application will be released in February 2027. Only recipients of an approved letter of application will be eligible to apply for the full award. Full award applications should reflect and build on the work done during the planning period and provide more in-depth program designs.
Download the full grant funding opportunity and addenda (PDF)
Key dates
Phase 1: Planning grant
Application release
June 15, 2026
Letter of application due
Aug. 21, 2026
Application questions due
June 30, 2026. Responses will be posted within one week. Please send questions to: dhsruralhealth@dhs.wisconsin.gov, and place CHW Application Questions in the Subject line.
Estimated date for award notification
October 2026
Phase 2: Full award
Full application due
February or March 2027
Estimated date for full award notification
March or April 2027
Estimated funding
A total of $10 million will be available for the first six-month planning period. For the remaining four-year full project period, an estimated $205 million will be available *pending CMS approval, as shown in the table below.
| Award phase | Planning Period | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dates | Nov. 1, 2026–April 30, 2027 | May 1, 2027–April 30, 2028 | May 1, 2028–April 30, 2029 | May 1, 2029–April 30, 2030 | May 1, 2030–Sept. 30, 2031 |
| Total funding available | $10,000,000* | $25,000,000* | $60,000,000* | $60,000,000* | $60,000,000* |
Number of available awards
The number of available awards will be determined by the variety and scope of projects submitted. Awards will be made to ensure distribution across regions and counties, with an emphasis on rural communities.
In the letter of application, applicants should estimate their full four-year project budget range. Based on this information, DHS will announce the number of potential full awards that will be made during Phase 2.
Award amount
During the full application process awards will be assessed within funding tiers, by type of project scope, and by regional focus. Broad estimates of the four-year budget tiers are below.
Tier A: $400,000–$1,999,999
Tier B: $2,000,000–$4,999,999
Tier C: $5,000,000–$9,999,999
Tier D: $10,000,000–$20,000,000
Application submission
All applications must be submitted online through the DHS Coordinating Care Across Wisconsin Grant Application form.
Background
The Wisconsin Rural Health Transformation Program is focused on improving healthcare access and health outcomes in rural communities across Wisconsin. This funding opportunity is part of the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), a federal funding opportunity provided to states through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) received a first-year award from CMS for $203,670,005.21 to invest in rural capacity, sustainability, and innovation. The program aims to improve access to care through three initiatives: strengthening the healthcare workforce, enhancing technology innovation, and cultivating coordinated care partnerships. Through collaboration among healthcare providers, public health agencies, and community-based organizations, the program seeks to improve health and well-being in rural communities.
This funding opportunity is part of the RHTP coordinated care initiative. Rural residents in Wisconsin experience higher rates of chronic diseases, including heart disease and diabetes, and worse behavioral health outcomes than urban residents. Rural residents struggle to receive appropriate, high-quality, and timely care because of workforce shortages, particularly for primary care and behavioral health. Two-thirds of rural residents must travel more than 30 minutes to access emergency care. Out of 72 counties in Wisconsin, 40 are federally designated as mental health professional shortage areas, 37 as primary care shortage areas, and 34 as dental care shortage areas.
Purpose
Through this funding opportunity, DHS aims to address these challenges by leveraging the resources and innovation within Wisconsin’s rural communities. This funding will ensure that healthcare services and resources can be delivered in the most efficient, accessible, and high-quality manner possible.
This grant funding opportunity is intended to catalyze innovative partnership models that coordinate care across systems and sectors in rural Wisconsin. Through these grants, the state of Wisconsin aims to address those points in a care continuum where community members are most likely to experience barriers to health-related services or fall out of care, and to directly address fragmented systems of care.
The goals of this funding are to:
- Establish strong, sustainable, and community-centered healthcare delivery systems
- Increase primary, specialty, and behavioral healthcare access
- Improve prevention, behavioral, and chronic health outcomes in rural communities
- Reduce avoidable hospital admissions and emergency department visits among rural residents
Program requirements and letter of application scoring
Successful letters of application will address the following:
- Community-based evidence of need: The grant funds should address specific, evidence-based healthcare needs and health outcomes within a community. The state recognizes that the needs and capacity in each rural community vary greatly across the state. For that reason, each applicant should identify the specific healthcare and health issue(s) of greatest need in the area they will serve and that their proposed intervention is best placed to address.
- Linkages between intervention and proposed outcomes: Applicants should clearly outline in text, table, or visual model how the proposed activities and partnerships will address the specific needs in the community, and the anticipated outcomes for this work.
- New or enhanced care coordination partnerships: RHTP is focused on transformative work that goes beyond existing service provision or partnerships. Funds awarded under this program must be used to support new or expanded partnerships, services, or activities. Applicants may not use grant funds to maintain existing services or programs. Letters of application should clearly describe how the proposed project represents a new initiative or a substantive expansion of current efforts including any new partners, populations served, geographic areas, or service capacity.
- Nature of partnerships: Projects should emphasize collaborations, such as care coordination, service integration, and system-level improvements rather than isolated service delivery. We strongly encourage collaborations between dissimilar community partners, including but not limited to:
- Collaborations between sectors (e.g. local health department and hospital or health system; social work services and emergency medical services; pharmacies and nutrition support services; community health centers and schools)
- Collaborations between larger health systems and smaller community-based organizations (e.g. hospitals and youth after-school programs)
- Collaborations between community-based providers and specialty care providers in other settings (e.g. via telehealth)
Collaborations between a service provider and community members to identify the best strategy for bringing care closer to those who need it most.
We define partnerships broadly for the purposes of this funding. Partnerships that qualify for this funding include any collaborations that bring innovative health service delivery closer to rural residents and communities and break down care silos. Where applicable, when a more formal partnership between institutions is proposed, letters of support from each partner are required in the letter of application and in the full application.
- Bringing care closer to home: Many rural residents must travel long distances to access care. Projects should clearly describe how the proposed work will ensure that care is delivered in trusted settings as close to clients’ homes as possible.
- Sustainability: Applications must include a clear and feasible plan for sustainability beyond the grant period. Proposals should describe how projects will be maintained over time through reimbursement, payer mix, patient volume, operational efficiencies, and other funding sources. In addition, applicants should articulate how their project will contribute to sustainable infrastructure that supports long-term population health improvement.
In your letter of application, please include both items below.
- The total amount you request for the planning period (Nov. 1, 2026–April 30, 2027)
- The estimated tier for years 1-4 (cumulative for the four years)
- Tier A: $400,000–$1,999,999
- Tier B: $2,000,000–$4,999,999
- Tier C: $5,000,000–$9,999,999
- Tier D: $10,000,000–$20,000,000
In the letter of application Coordinating Care Across Wisconsin Grant Application form, you must upload a budget using the Coordinating Care Across Wisconsin Grant Budget Template (Excel) with the following details for your planning period budget. This level of detail is not needed within the letter itself.
- Salary: Describe your personnel expenses for this project. If none, mark N/A.
- Fringe: Describe your fringe expenses. If none, mark N/A.
- Travel: Describe travel expenses (transportation, lodging, per diem, etc.) for this project. If none, mark N/A.
- Contractual Services: Describe any contractual partners you will fund for this project. If none, mark N/A.
- Equipment: Describe any equipment purchases that will be made for this project. Equipment is defined as having a per-unit cost of over $10,000, which requires approval from CMS. Applicants interested in obtaining equipment should include the item and cost in their proposed budget. If the applicant is selected for the planning grant, the state will work with the applicant and CMS to obtain the required approvals. If none, mark N/A.
- Supplies: Describe your supply costs for this project. If none, mark N/A.
- Other: Describe any other costs associated with this project. If none, mark N/A.
- Indirect: Describe costs incurred for a common or joint purpose benefiting more than one cost objective and readily assignable to the cost objectives specifically benefitted. Limited to 8% of the total award amount. If none, mark N/A.
Reporting requirements: Evaluation
A combination of quantitative and qualitative data will be required quarterly for state and federal evaluation purposes. During the planning period these reports will take the form of brief progress updates and financial reports.
Eligible applicants
Applicants must be health service providers, or community partners of health service providers, in areas of Wisconsin located outside of Milwaukee County. See Addendum Exhibit 1 for a definition of semi-rural and rural counties. Health services are broadly defined as those entities providing chronic, preventative, wraparound, social services, acute or emergency, and/or behavioral and mental health services to rural and semi-rural residents. Providers can take many forms, including but not limited to the following potential applicants:
- Aging and disability resource centers
- Behavioral health clinics
- Community-based organizations
- Community health centers and primary care clinics
- County human service agencies
- Emergency medical services
- Hospitals and health systems
- Local and Tribal health departments
- Long-term care providers and skilled nursing facilities
- Non-emergency medical transportation
- Pharmacists and pharmacies
- Rural health clinics
- Schools and educational institutions
- Other rural partner
Funding availability
Submission does not guarantee funding within this opportunity. This allows DHS to assess capacity of interested parties to conduct the work outlined in the scope of work. DHS reserves the right not to award funding to any applicant, and to award fewer or more grants than initially indicated. DHS also reserves the right to award grants for less than an applicant’s proposed amount. DHS may award additional funding if more funding becomes available. Should additional funding become available at any point during the grant period, DHS reserves the right to use the results of this grant funding opportunity to increase funding to the selected agencies or to fund additional agencies that submitted an application but were not selected.
DHS uses a cost-based reimbursement model that limits reimbursement to actual allowable incurred costs. If funding is awarded, expenses can be submitted for reimbursement only after they have been incurred.
Use of funds
Grant recipients will be required to comply with the DHS Allowable Cost Policy Manual and all applicable state and federal reporting, fiscal, and audit requirements, including those incorporated through Addendum Exhibit 2: Federal Compliance Requirements Rural Health Transformation Program. Applicants must clearly describe how grant funds will be used, what technologies will be purchased, and how this will meet community needs. The following allowable and unallowable costs and activities are provided as examples only and are not intended to be exhaustive.
- Direct service and provider payments are subject to the requirements and limitations described in the Direct Service & Provider Payment Details section below. Funds may be used for administration, staff supervision, education, training, coordination etc.
- Meeting expenses related to the project: meeting room, audiovisual (AV) equipment, travel, speakers, etc.
- Infrastructure to support collaboration, such as billing and/or fiscal infrastructure, technology for billing and tracking services, and administrative support
- Program evaluation
- Office supplies, postage, copying, etc. related to the project
- Consultant and contract services needed to implement the project
- Direct or indirect lobbying activities
- Costs or activities not directly related to the overall project description and scope of work
- Independent research and development, including associated indirect costs in accordance with 2 CFR 300.477
- Construction or building expansion, purchasing or significant retrofitting of buildings, cosmetic upgrades, or any other direct cost that materially increases the value or useful life of the capital
- Meals, unless in limited circumstances such as subjects and patients under study, if specifically approved as part of the project or program activity, or as part of a per diem in conjunction with allowable travel
- Capital expenditures and capital equipment. Capital equipment costs are defined as all costs associated with the acquisition of assets having a value of more than $10,000, and a useful life of more than one year.
- Projects outside of Wisconsin
- At no time may these funds be used to pay for clinical provider salaries or services covered by other funding or insurance mechanisms.
- During the planning period (Nov. 1, 2026–April 30, 2027), no funds may be used to cover clinical provider salaries related to direct service provision. Note: This only applies to clinical service provision and does not apply to most services provided by allied health professionals. See the Rural Health Transformation Provider Payments Fact Sheet (PDF) for more information.
- During Year 1 (May 1, 2027–April 30, 2028), no more than 60% of a subaward may be used for direct clinical services.
- During years 2–4 (May 1, 2028–Sept. 30, 2031), no more than 35% of annual subawards may be used for direct clinical services.
- A separate funding opportunity is available for Community Health Worker program development, and projects covered by these funds cannot overlap with the scope of that funding opportunity. However, DHS does encourage strategic braiding of funding and initiatives that are synergistic across RHTP funding streams.
No more than 8% of the award amount may be used for administrative expenses. This is based on CMS requirements: a 10% cap is applied to the cumulative administrative costs for the entire program, including those incurred by both the State and any subrecipients.
Personnel costs associated with administering RHTP grant activities may be considered administrative costs. In contrast, if staff are directly carrying out program initiatives, the cost may be considered programmatic.
Administrative costs support the day-to-day operations and general grant oversight. These costs generally include indirect costs, audit expenses, and salary and fringe benefits for personnel whose primary responsibilities involve managing, tracking, and overseeing the grant.
More information is available in the Addendum Exhibit 3: Budget Instructions.
Under federal grant regulations, alteration and renovation must be necessary and reasonable for performance of the award and directly related to program objectives. Any renovation or alteration costs will require prior approval from CMS. RHTP staff will submit required renovations requests to CMS for approval on behalf of grantees prior to purchase or start of work. Renovations may not proceed until written approval is received. Additionally, no more than 20% of the total award can be spent on minor alterations and renovations.
See Exhibit 2: Federal Compliance Requirements for more information.
- A small hospital partners with a behavioral health provider and school district to expand school-based counseling, increase access to services, and decrease emergency room visits. Components could include:
- Funding upfront costs like retrofitting school space for confidentiality and setting up a billing system.
- Hiring specialized counselors.
- A community-based peer support organization partners with local law enforcement and a hospital to provide peer support in jails and emergency rooms. Project goals are to increase access to peer support, reduce overdoses and mental health crises, and increase uptake of other healthcare and services after discharge. Funding could be leveraged to:
- Pay peer-support specialists not covered by other insurance or payers.
- Add a module to an existing electronic health record system (EHR) so that peer-support specialists can document progress and share data with other care team members.
- Train peer-support specialists to use the EHR.
- A community health center uses funds to develop a comprehensive diabetes program, focused on general diabetes prevention and preventing amputation and vision loss. Components could include:
- Establishing an evidence-based lifestyle change program.
- Training staff on diabetic retina and foot screenings.
- Equipping staff with screening technology to provide off-site screenings.
- Partnering with local entities to bring screenings and nutrition education into the community, such as:
- Developing culturally tailored education materials.
- Hosting culturally tailored nutrition classes.
- Partnering with local health systems to share data and results, refer patients to primary or specialized care, and plan for program sustainability.
- A large health system uses funds to implement several initiatives, including:
- Establishing or expanding transitional care management (TCM) teams to improve post-discharge outcomes.
- Implementing a community-based model for obstetrics care management in rural areas that engages patients in prenatal care and assists with social drivers of health like transportation, housing, and health literacy.
- Integrating behavioral health professionals into rural primary health clinics.
- Bolstering population health initiatives that focus on chronic disease prevention and lifestyle medicine.
Letter of application instructions
Letters of application will be reviewed, and contracts will be awarded for a funded planning period. A total of $10 million dollars is available for funding during this phase. Following the planning period, planning awardees will be invited to submit a full grant proposal, with detailed budgets and workplans, for subsequent funding. The funded planning period will allow grantees to collect and leverage data to support their full proposal, develop strong partnership models, and receive technical assistance.
Please submit a one- or two-page letter of application within the Coordinating Care Across Wisconsin Grant Application form, describing the innovative approach and partnership model that you hope to implement with these funds. Letters should:
- Respond to the points outlined in the Program Requirements section.
- Make the case for a proposed partnership. What problem have you have repeatedly seen in your community that could be solved with more resources to connect partners?
- Be clear and logical, using straightforward and compelling language.
- Include a budget outlining how you will use the funds during the 6-month planning period.
Strong letters of application will clearly articulate a problem and/or health issue and provide data to quantify the issue. Organizations may request technical assistance for preparing their applications from the University of Wisconsin-Population Health Institute, Wisconsin Office of Rural Health, and Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality. Technical assistance can be requested for describing local health needs using community data, accessing information to quantify the local health context, project evaluation planning, and/or developing performance measures. These partners have no input on funding decisions. To learn more, send a request to RHTP-evaluation@wisc.edu.
Applicants should reach out directly to DHS at DHSRuralHealth@dhs.wisconsin.gov for questions regarding technical difficulties with the application submission process. Note: questions about the funding opportunity, including eligibility requirements, budgets, allowable and unallowable expenses, and related topics must be submitted by June 30, 2026, and will be answered through published FAQs.
Details will be shared later about additional technical assistance to support the development of full grant proposals.
Letter of application scoring rubric and review process
Letters of application will be reviewed and scored by an evaluation team using the 15-point scale below. Those programs located and providing services in rural counties (rather than semi-rural alone) will receive an additional weight of 0.15 on the total scale score. Note: All programs must benefit people living in rural and semi-rural areas of Wisconsin, outside of metropolitan hubs. See Addendum Exhibit 1 for a definition of rural counties.
Community Need and Impact
5 points
Program Design and Implementation
5 points
Planning Budget
5 points
All on-time proposals that include all required information will be eligible for review. A committee of subject matter experts and knowledgeable external partners will review proposals and make recommendations for funding applications. Contextual factors such as past performance and spending history, geographic coverage and program reach, and project feasibility may also be considered when making final award decisions.
Federal funding statement
This program is supported by CMS of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $203,670,005.21 with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. 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.