How to Get Involved – Guiding Workforce Innovators Through the RHT Program Application Process
- Greg Paulus
- Sep 23
- 7 min read
The CMS Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program represents the largest federal investment in rural healthcare in a generation – $50 billion over five years starting in 2026. For healthcare workforce technology companies, this isn't just another government program; it's a paradigm shift that demands immediate attention and strategic engagement. With applications closing in just eight weeks and awards determined by December 31, 2025, the window for preparation is rapidly narrowing.[1][2][3]
Rural healthcare faces an unprecedented crisis: 91% of rural counties lack adequate primary care physicians, while 66.5% of primary care shortage areas are in rural communities. The RHT program directly addresses these workforce challenges by requiring 5-year minimum commitments for clinical staff recruited to rural areas – creating a massive opportunity for workforce tech innovators who understand how to scale solutions in underserved markets.[4][5][6][7][8]
Why Workforce Matters: Opportunities in the RHT Program
Rural healthcare's workforce shortage isn't just a staffing problem – it's an economic and survival crisis. Rural residents travel an average of 17 minutes longer than urban residents to reach definitive care, and this disparity is driving hospital closures across rural America. The RHT program recognizes that workforce recruitment and retention are fundamental to rural healthcare transformation, making it one of the core allowable activities states must address.[9][5][10]
The five-year commitment requirement for the clinical workforce isn't a barrier – it's a competitive advantage for companies that can demonstrate long-term retention solutions. Traditional recruitment approaches fail in rural settings because they don't address the underlying challenges: professional isolation, limited career advancement opportunities, and inadequate support systems. Workforce tech companies that can solve these systemic issues will find unprecedented demand from state-level buyers with substantial funding.[9][11]
Key workforce opportunities within the RHT program include:
· Evidence-based recruitment strategies targeting clinicians with rural ties
· Technology-enabled retention solutions addressing professional isolation
· Training and technical assistance programs for rural healthcare organizations
· Data-driven workforce planning tools for optimizing staff allocation
· Telehealth infrastructure to extend specialist expertise to rural areas[5][10]
States are specifically looking for solutions that can demonstrate measurable outcomes in workforce retention, particularly programs that leverage technology to create sustainable practice environments in rural communities.[10][12]
State Application Roadmap: How to Get Involved
The RHT application timeline is exceptionally compressed, requiring workforce tech companies to act decisively. States must submit their Rural Health Transformation Plans by early November, but internal approval processes mean most states need their plans completed by early-to-mid October – giving companies less than four weeks to establish meaningful partnerships.[13][14][15]
Critical timeline milestones:
· Mid-September 2025: Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) released on grants.gov
· Late September 2025: Introductory webinars available for states
· Throughout October 2025: States can ask CMS questions
· Early November 2025: Application submissions close
· December 31, 2025: CMS announces approved applications[2][16][13]
The compressed timeline means relationship-building must happen now. States are already identifying potential partners and evaluating workforce solutions. Companies that wait for the NOFO release will find themselves competing against established relationships and proven track records.
Essential preparation steps for Inovators:
· Identify target states based on rural population density and existing health facility infrastructure
· Map key decision-makers in state health departments and rural health organizations
· Develop state-specific value propositions addressing local workforce challenges
· Prepare evidence packages demonstrating ROI and retention outcomes
· Establish relationships with potential anchor clients and reference accounts[14][12]
Step-by-Step Guide for Innovators
Step 1: Track and Respond to the RHT Application Release
Monitor grants.gov and CMS communications channels daily. The NOFO will contain specific evaluation criteria and priority areas that should inform your positioning strategy. States will be looking for solutions that align with CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz's emphasis on measurable outcomes and value-based care models.[10]
Step 2: Craft Compelling Solutions Tailored to Workforce Needs
Rural workforce challenges are fundamentally different from urban healthcare staffing issues. Your solutions must address specific rural barriers: geographic isolation, limited peer interaction, reduced access to continuing education, and family/spousal employment concerns. Technology solutions that can demonstrate concrete retention improvements – particularly those showing 3-5 year retention rates – will be highly valued.[9][11]
Step 3: Leverage Introductory Webinars and Q&A Channels
CMS will conduct introductory webinars in late September and maintain open Q&A channels throughout October. These sessions provide critical intelligence about evaluation priorities and state concerns. More importantly, they offer opportunities to identify potential state partners who are asking sophisticated questions about workforce solutions.[13][5]
Step 4: Build Strategic State Partnerships
The most successful companies will embed themselves in state planning processes rather than simply responding to RFPs. This requires identifying states with strong rural health infrastructure but clear workforce gaps, then positioning your solutions as essential components of their transformation plans.[12][10]
Maximizing Success: Best Practices for Application
Align with RHT Workforce Priorities
State transformation plans must demonstrate how they will "enhance economic opportunity for, and the supply of, healthcare clinicians through enhanced recruitment and training". Your solutions should directly support this mandate through:[10]
· Measurable recruitment outcomes with specific retention metrics
· Evidence-based training programs that improve rural practice satisfaction
· Technology platforms that reduce professional isolation
· Career development pathways that retain talent in rural settings
· Economic impact analysis showing local job creation and retention[9][10]
Highlight Clinical Commitments and Evidence of Impact
The 5-year minimum commitment requirement means states need workforce solutions that can demonstrate long-term retention success. Companies must present clear evidence of their ability to:
· Recruit clinicians who will honor multi-year rural commitments
· Create practice environments that support long-term retention
· Provide ongoing support that prevents early departure
· Measure and report retention outcomes consistently[4][5][6]
Showcase Scalability and State-Level Benefits
States are looking for solutions that can create system-wide transformation, not just individual facility improvements. Your proposals should demonstrate:
· Scalability across rural geographies within the state
· Network effects that improve outcomes as adoption increases
· Cost-effectiveness at the population health scale
· Integration capabilities with the existing state health infrastructure
· Data sharing that supports state-wide workforce planning[12][10]
Turning Participation into Revenue & Thought Leadership
Create Sales and Partnership Opportunities in Rural Health
RHT program participation provides unprecedented market validation for workforce solutions. States are essentially pre-qualifying your solutions through their transformation plans, creating powerful sales leverage with other states and private health systems. Companies that can demonstrate proven outcomes in RHT-funded programs will have significant competitive advantages in the broader rural health market.[12]
Leverage New Credibility to Attract Clients
Success in the RHT program creates thought leadership opportunities that extend far beyond rural health. Healthcare workforce challenges are universal – rural success stories translate directly to urban markets dealing with similar retention and recruitment issues. Companies should plan comprehensive content marketing strategies that leverage RHT outcomes to establish broader market credibility.[17][12]
Position as a Trusted Partner
The healthcare industry increasingly values long-term partnership over transactional vendor relationships. RHT program participation demonstrates your company's commitment to addressing systemic healthcare challenges rather than just selling software. This positioning is particularly valuable when engaging with health system C-suites who are looking for strategic partners to address workforce transformation.[18][12]
Conclusion & Call to Action
The Rural Health Transformation Program represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to demonstrate workforce innovation at scale while building the foundation for sustainable rural healthcare. The $50 billion investment validates the critical importance of workforce solutions and creates unprecedented demand for companies that can deliver measurable results.[1][5]
The window for strategic engagement is closing rapidly. Companies that establish state partnerships and demonstrate relevant solutions in the next four weeks will be positioned for significant growth as RHT funding becomes available in 2026.
At WonWay Health, we've spent years building the relationships and industry expertise necessary to help healthcare workforce technology companies navigate complex opportunities like the RHT program. Our 75+ years of combined experience with industry leaders like athenahealth, Pfizer, and Incredible Health gives us unique insights into how C-suite executives evaluate and adopt workforce solutions.[19][20]
Ready to capitalize on the RHT opportunity? We can help you:
· Identify optimal target states based on your solution capabilities
· Connect with key decision-makers in state health departments
· Develop compelling value propositions that align with RHT priorities
· Create partnership strategies that position you for long-term success
· Build thought leadership platforms that leverage RHT engagement for broader market expansion
Contact Greg Paulus at gpaulus@wonwayhealth.com to discuss your RHT strategy and partnership opportunities.
Resource Links:
· WonWay Health Overview[19]
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of WonWay Health or its clients.
28. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-create-compelling-linkedin-articles-thought-ahmet-akusta-z10mf
57. https://digital.ahrq.gov/ahrq-funded-projects/health-information-technology-value-rural-hospitals
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