Rural Health Transformation Program tracker › Kansas

Kansas

Rural Health Transformation Program

Program

Kansas

First-year award

$221,898,008 (CMS)

Lead agency

Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE)

Program page

kdhe.ks.gov/2361/Rural-Health-Transformation-Program

Contact

The program office's contact details

Where the plan names technology

Initiative 5 of Kansas's plan, "Harness Data and Technology," covers data sharing, telehealth, remote monitoring and "appropriate use of artificial intelligence." Under it, the state "will identify and convene an expert panel to evaluate and recommend AI solutions for rural providers relating to clinical documentation, predictive analytics, and operational automation," and its remote patient monitoring system must "provide AI-powered clinical intelligence." The Emerging Technology FAQ says "The grant may be used for implementation of an AI solution, but the technology needs to be already established/proven."

AI named in the plan

Yes

Funding rounds

Open Year 2 Regional Partnership Grant Program (RPGP); $44 million, pending CMS approval of the Year 2 budget; opened Oct 2, 2026, deadline Nov 13, 2026; eligible: "Any Kansas-based organization that has secured a commitment from at least one Eligible Provider" to a collaborative arrangement; anchor hospitals cannot apply as lead or partner
Open Year 2 Transformative Capital Investment Grant Program (CAP); $11 million, pending CMS approval of the Year 2 budget; opened Oct 2, 2026, deadline Nov 13, 2026; eligible: "Any Eligible Provider," including Kansas hospitals, physician practices, rural health clinics, provider networks and consortia, federally qualified health centers, local health departments, tribal health care facilities, certified community behavioral health clinics, substance use disorder facilities and rural long-term care facilities
Awarded Interfacility Transport project (IFTp); $870,958.97; deadline Jul 31, 2026; eligible: "Any Kansas-based organization that provides services in a rural area"
Awarded Emerging Technology Grant; $9.5 million; opened Jun 10, 2026, deadline Jul 10, 2026; eligible: Kansas hospitals, physician practices and solo practitioners, rural health clinics, federally qualified health centers, local health departments, tribal health facilities, certified community behavioral health clinics, substance use disorder facilities and long-term care facilities
Awarded Year 1 Regional Partnership Grant Program (RPGP); $44 million; opened Feb 24, 2026, deadline Apr 3, 2026; eligible: Eligible providers pursuing collaborative arrangements with one or more eligible Kansas providers
Awarded Year 1 Rural Emergency Hospital Conversion and Transformative Capital Investment Program (REH/CAP); $15 million; opened Feb 24, 2026, deadline Mar 20, 2026; eligible: Facilities that have converted or are converting to Rural Emergency Hospital status, and other eligible providers for capital investments
Open Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) Program participation agreements; $33M to rural providers in Program Year 1 ($22 million in infrastructure payments, $11 million in incentive payments); $100,000 plus $50,000 per rural hospital and $50,000 plus $25,000 per rural clinic; eligible: Rural hospitals, critical access hospitals and rural emergency hospitals, rural health clinics, and rural FQHCs, CCBHCs and full-time primary care clinics, through a participation agreement with the UKHS Care Collaborative
Awarded Community Health Worker + Accountable Food is Medicine (CHW+AFIM) Grant Program; eligible: Federally qualified health centers and look-alike clinics, rural health clinics, hospitals, local health departments, tribal health care facilities, certified community behavioral health clinics and primary care clinics in rural Kansas; nonprofits may partner with them

Awards

Sept 14, 2026: $16 million to 14 providers. Emerging Technology Grants, which KDHE's secretary says range "from diagnostic and surgical technologies to artificial intelligence tools." The project list includes Meade Hospital District's "Microsoft Dragon Copilot, an AI-powered ambient clinical documentation solution," an "AI-enabled Primary Care as a Service platform" for UKHS Great Bend and remote patient monitoring at Rooks County Health Center. Announcement
Sept 14, 2026: $780,919.21 to 2 organizations: Pulse Transport, LLC and Labette County Medical Center. Interfacility Transport project grants to pilot new approaches to moving patients between facilities. Announcement
Aug 13, 2026: $1,007,152 to 7 rural health care organizations. Community Health Worker + Accountable Food is Medicine grants. Announcement
May 29, 2026: $79.1 million to 39 organizations. First-year Regional Partnership grants and Rural Emergency Hospital conversion and capital grants. The award list includes telehealth projects and a Children's Mercy Hospital chronic care network that will use "AI-driven risk identification." Announcement

Next

KDHE's timeline says second budget period funding is announced by Oct. 31, 2026, and Year 2 awardees under the open rounds are to be notified Dec. 18, 2026. The state's Year 2 project narrative and budget are posted but "under review by CMS and should not be considered final documentation." The Evidence-Based Practice Program's May 19 FAQ says participation agreements "are available now" and sets Oct. 1, 2026 for incentive payment documentation and Sept. 1, 2027 for infrastructure payment documentation. The Kansas Health Institute offers applicants free technical assistance, and KDHE takes email sign-ups for updates.

Checked against its sources Oct 13, 2026

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

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