Physician in the Loop
For youSign in
Rural Health Transformation Program tracker › Georgia

Georgia

Rural Health Transformation Program
Program
Georgia
First-year award
$218,862,170 (CMS)
Lead agency
Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH), which runs the GREAT Health program; the Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce runs its workforce grants
Program page
greathealth.georgia.gov
Contact
The program office's contact details
Where the plan names technology
Initiative Five of Georgia's plan, "Leveraging Technology for Healthcare Innovations in Rural Georgia," covers cybersecurity for rural hospitals, EMR and consumer engagement enhancements, surgical robots and an ARCHER Tech Catalyst Fund to "Deploy/support selected technology in rural systems such as AI-driven diagnostics." The plan's goals and strategies say "The ARCHER fund is solely focused on supporting innovation, including those that incorporate artificial intelligence, to improve healthcare efficiencies."
AI named in the plan
Yes
Funding rounds
Awards
  • Aug 27, 2026: Phase 4 awards bringing total investments to over $218 million to Seven more hospitals for value-based care readiness, eight hospitals for 12 telepods and 13 hospitals for workforce retention technology, among others. Phase 4 commits all Year 1 awards: $15,635,000 for Initiative 1, $6,209,688 for Initiative 2, $10,378,639 for Initiative 3, $23,607,500 for Initiative 4 and $37,500,000 for Initiative 5, which includes surgical robotics grants to 13 hospitals and a grant to Equifax for eligibility system enhancements. Announcement
  • Jul 23, 2026: $60.5 million to 80 rural hospitals and the Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce. Phase 3: $750,000 each for 80 rural hospitals to prepare for the CMS AHEAD model and value-based care, and $487,500 for a nurse educator program. DCH put commitments to date at $103.8 million. Announcement
  • Jul 16, 2026: $30.6 million to 26 organizations. Phase 2 awards, including 17 Rural Stabilization Grants to rural hospitals and "cybersecurity enhancements for rural hospitals" through the Georgia Cyber Innovation & Training Center at Augusta University. Announcement
  • Jun 8, 2026: $12,730,000 to Georgia Department of Public Health, Side by Side, University System of Georgia, Georgia Statewide AHEC Network and Sharecare. The first GREAT Health subgrants: newborn screening at the Department of Public Health's Waycross laboratory, a rural brain injury clubhouse, nurse summer camps, housing and "Digital Health Navigators" training through the Georgia Statewide AHEC Network, and a Sharecare "consumer-facing wellness platform." Announcement
Next
DCH withdrew the Year 1 Telehealth Enhancements opportunity, saying "Year 1 allocations for this specific initiative will not be awarded at this time," and that it "fully intends to revisit and restructure this telehealth funding opportunity in subsequent RHTP funding years, subject to the continued availability and receipt of federal funds." The Rural GME Development applications close Oct. 30, 2026, extended from Oct. 15, according to the Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce, and the Simulation Mannequin applications close Nov. 13, 2026. The state gives its first-year award as $218,862,169.63.
Sources: CMS, first-year awards, GREAT Health program site, GREAT Health funding opportunities, GREAT Health, Rural GME funding announcement (supplemental), Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce, funding opportunities, Georgia's application, Initiative Five, Georgia's application, goals and strategies, DCH, first subgrantees, June 8, DCH, Phase 2 awards, July 16, DCH, Phase 3 awards, July 23, DCH, Year 1 awards fully committed, Aug. 27, CMS, Georgia awards
Checked against its sources

What the money can pay for: What does the Rural Health Transformation Program pay for?.

All statesGeorgia on the law map