Beyond Funding: Technology that Powers Rural Health Transformation and Access
Driving system-wide rural health transformation through measurable outcomes, sustainable operations and long-term financial stability.
Aligning Rural Health Transformation Funding with Strategy and Technology
The Rural Health Transformation Program is one of the most significant federal investments in rural healthcare in a generation. For states, counties and rural provider and community-based organizations, the program is about more than funding; it's a promise to modernize infrastructure, expand access to care and deliver measurable outcomes through integrated, whole-person care models.
At Netsmart, we understand that long-term success requires alignment across technology, workforce, interoperability and cross-sector collaboration, with systems built to sustain impact well beyond the funding window. Leading organizations are those approaching rural health transformation proactively. Netsmart is a proven strategic partner for providers looking for expert assistance to help you strategize, navigate complexity and operate with confidence on behalf of your communities.
Modernizing rural health transformation programs with CareManager
Manage provider workflow throughout your entire organization in one platform with CareManager and bring the communities you serve closer to the future of care.
Key benefits include:
- Helps rural providers share data, coordinate services and manage transitions between community and clinical partners
- Aligns with RHTP emphasis on connected health systems and robust data exchange
- Positions organizations to track outcomes and demonstrate impact, which is critical for continued funding and partnership success under RHTP
- Automates tasks and helps address gaps in care and helps providers meet efficiency metrics tied to payment reform or shared-risk models
Make data-driven, informed decisions your communities depend on
Access the vision and awareness required to properly plan and manage the care your organization provides, all in one integrated dashboard.
Key features empower providers to:
- Track clinical, financial and operational KPIs tied to RHTP goals
- Turn transformation strategy into measurable outcomes
- Identify performance gaps early and course-correct quickly
- Support value-based care and sustainability efforts
Support RHTP with innovative mobile health solutions designed to deliver care throughout communities
The Netsmart suite of mobile healthcare solutions helps you meet the goals of the Rural Health Transformation program as well as alleviate the burden on emergency departments and first responders to ultimately expand access to mental health services.
Mobile health services can:
- Deliver care directly into communities
- Expand access to mental health and crisis services where traditional clinics are limited
- Reduce strain on emergency departments by meeting people where they are
- Combine telehealth and mobile dispatch tech for seamless field care delivery
- Connect patients to local social resources (e.g. transportation, food, pharmacies)
- Support coordination of crisis and behavioral health response in rural settings
Amplifying human potential with AI and automation
The Netsmart approach to AI and automation in human services and post-acute care aims to minimize manual, repetitive tasks. This aims to provide your clinical, financial and operational staff a better work environment and amplify their contributions to the community.
We offer AI-empowered solutions designed to assist in either clinical or operational roles.
- Bells Documentation Assistant helps clinicians create accurate, complete notes faster and reduce documentation time
- Bells Virtual Scribe actively listens, transcribes and drafts notes in near real time to reduce administrative burden
- Bells Quality Coach automatically audits clinical documentation and provides actionable insights to improve quality, compliance and efficiency
- AlphaCollector is AI-assisted coding helps collection staff work the right claims at the right time to accelerate cash flow and save staff time
Interoperability software for your organization and the communities you serve
For more than a decade, Netsmart has led the way in establishing standards that support open data exchange networks for healthcare providers. With our designation as a Qualified Health Information Network (QHIN), we’re helping to build a nationwide information-sharing network with the ability to exchange more data, more securely than ever before.
Netsmart QHIN can:
- Support exchanging higher volumes of information and more robust types of data
- Enhance compliance with federal interoperability mandates
- Integrate with Netsmart EHRs for a user-friendly experience
- Operate with confidence while powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Rural Health Transformation Program FAQs
RHTP initiatives must align to CMS defined strategic goals, including:
- Make rural America health again through prevention, chronic disease management and behavioral health integration
- Sustainable access by improving operational efficiency and shared services
- Workforce development to recruit, retain and support rural clinicians
- Innovative care models, including value-based and alternative payment models
- Technology innovation, including remote care, interoperability and cybersecurity
Although States are the official applicants, RHTP is implemented through counties, providers and regional partners. CMS explicitly allows and expects States to:
- Consult and collaborate with counties, local health departments and providers
- Subaward or contract funds to hospitals, clinics and community-based organizations
- Require reporting and participation tied to approved initiatives
RHTP is funded through CMS cooperative agreements with each approved State. States maintain oversight responsibility but may distribute funds through:
- Subawards or contracts to counties and regional agencies
- Provider payments tied to approved initiatives (subject to limits)
- Investments in shared infrastructure, workforce programs and technology
Depending on the State’s approved plan, RHTP initiatives may involve:
- Rural hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals
- Rural Health Clinics (RHCs)
- Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)
- Community behavioral health providers
- Certified Community Behavioral Health Centers (CCBHCs)
- EMS and mobile healthcare
- County and regional health agencies
Support is tied to transformation initiatives, not entitlement funding.
- Behavioral health integration into rural care settings
- Telehealth and remote care expansion
- Regional provider partnerships and shared services
- Workforce recruitment and retention initiatives
- Interoperability and data infrastructure modernization
RHTP funding spans five years (FY 2026 – FY 2030). Sustainability planning is critical from the outset, as funding is intended to bridge to long-term operational transformation, not permanent supplemental revenue.
The right healthcare technology partner matters because RHTP is more than a system implementation. It’s a transformation of the rural care delivery model. Success depends on technology that supports measurable improvements in access and outcomes, enable coordination across organizations, improve workforce efficiency and reduce administrative burden, and deliver secure, interoperable data exchange aligned with CMS expectations.
With Netsmart, organizations gain a purpose-built healthcare platform designed for rural and public sector care. Our solutions enable integrated physical, behavioral and community-based care, support mobile and remote workflows for field-based teams, and help organizations measure outcomes at the county and community level. Most importantly, our flexible, configurable capabilities align to each state’s goals and existing environment, helping drive sustainable transformation without requiring a wholesale replacement of current systems.
Ready to learn more?
Empower your rural health transformation with the technology and expertise required to amplify your organization’s potential and improve outcomes in countless communities nationwide.