Rural Health Transformation Program

The Rural Health Transformation Program is 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 to invest in rural capacity, sustainability, and innovation across three major initiatives:

• Strengthen the rural health care workforce
  Recruiting and retaining an adequate health care workforce is a challenge in rural areas, making access to quality, timely care for rural residents difficult. This funding will provide grants for innovative workforce projects in rural communities, support career pathways for rural health care providers, and fund services provided by community health workers.
• Drive rural technology and innovation
  Rural Wisconsin needs the technology to support and reach residents, such as closed-loop referral systems and telehealth capabilities. This funding will invest in upgrades to rural provider systems, digital infrastructure, and develop a digital rural health care collaborative.
• Transform rural care through partnerships
  Rural Wisconsinites experience fragmented coordination across primary care, specialty care, behavioral health, chronic disease prevention, and community social supports. This funding will stand up a competitive grant program for rural regions to create coordinated systems of care where multi-sector partnerships show a clear path to sustainability.

DHS is in the process of recruiting a team to manage this project. Information about recruitment opportunities will be posted on the DHS careers webpage.

Materials

• Complete application materials (PDF)*
• Application summary (PDF)
• Application narrative (PDF)
• Governor Evers letter of support (PDF)

*Dollar amounts assigned to specific budgetary costs used for staff, grant, and contractor management planning have been redacted.

Timeline

DHS will receive federal funding for five years to implement the initiatives of the program. CMS has not yet announced award amounts for the subsequent four years of the program.

Advisory council

The advisory council will provide strategic guidance and input to DHS as a part of the state’s implementation. The council offers an opportunity to contribute to shaping how rural health priorities are addressed, bringing diverse provider, community, and lived experience perspectives to the table.

DHS is specifically seeking applicants who represent either of the following:

• Provides or supports the delivery of health services in rural Wisconsin. This includes:
  • Those who provide services in rural hospitals, rural health clinics, community health centers, long-term care facilities, at local or Tribal health departments, or through county human services.
  • Individual providers who practice in rural communities, including but not limited to primary and behavioral health providers, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, EMS, community health workers, and peer support specialists.
  • Organizations that support health care providers.
• Have lived experience with rural health care.
  • This includes people who receive care in rural Wisconsin at a rural hospital, rural health clinic, community health center, long-term care facility, or through a local or Tribal health department or county human services agency.

Applications are due Friday, February 27, 2026.

Preparing for implementation

The DHS Office of Grants Management (OGM) will lead the implementation and oversight of the Rural Health Transformation Program. This strategic initiative will strengthen DHS’s capacity to administer large-scale, federally funded programs designed to improve access to high-quality health care in rural communities across Wisconsin.

OGM plans to recruit a program director to lead a dedicated team responsible for coordinating grant administration, program reporting, fiscal accountability, and technical support for statewide partners. Additional staff positions will be recruited in the coming months to support program operations and ensure effective management of program resources.

This expansion marks a significant step in advancing DHS’s mission to promote equitable, efficient, and sustainable health systems throughout Wisconsin. Information about upcoming recruitment opportunities will be posted on the DHS careers webpage as positions become available.

Stay updated

Sign up to receive email notices about the Rural Health Transformation Program.

Federal funding statement

This program is supported by the CMS of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $203,670,005 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.