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Rural Health Transformation Program tracker › Louisiana

Louisiana

Rural Health Transformation Program
Program
Louisiana
First-year award
$208,374,448 (CMS)
Lead agency
Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Rural Health Transformation and Sustainability
Program page
ldh.la.gov/page/rural-health-transformation-program
Contact
The program office's contact details
Where the plan names technology
Louisiana's application says its six initiatives work by "promoting the use of technology, AI, digital tools, and data sharing." Its technology initiative would "Implement a single, net new state-managed CMS-certified EHR instance to connect rural providers" and create a Rural Tech Catalyst Fund, and the state's telehealth infrastructure notice lists "RPM devices, broadband/network upgrades, telehealth carts" and "AI-assisted navigation tools" among the investments it covers.
AI named in the plan
Yes
Funding rounds
  • Closed Regional Care Conveners and Navigation Networks Program; $5,200,000.00 in Budget Year 1; awards of $500,000 to $2,000,000 annually; opened Jul 2, 2026, deadline Aug 14, 2026; eligible: Organizations that qualify as rural under the state's program definition and document financial, infrastructure or access-related need
  • Closed Food is Medicine Program; $2,700,000.00 in Budget Year 1; awards of $10,000 to $500,000; opened Jul 2, 2026, deadline Aug 14, 2026; eligible: Rural or rural-serving partnerships led by a designated applicant, such as rural hospitals, rural health clinics, FQHCs, pharmacies and community organizations, with a health care component
  • Closed Rural Medicaid Alternative Payment Model Program; up to $30 million in Year 1; opened Jun 29, 2026, deadline Aug 7, 2026; eligible: Louisiana Medicaid-enrolled FQHCs, rural health clinics, rural hospitals and critical access hospitals, independent primary care providers or groups, and provider-led coalitions
  • Closed Rural Collaborative Provider Models Program; $4,750,000.00 in Budget Year 1; awards of $10,000 to $500,000; opened Jun 26, 2026, deadline Aug 5, 2026; eligible: Licensed rural providers, including rural health clinics, FQHCs, critical access and rural hospitals, rural EMS, behavioral health providers and independent rural practices, with documented need
  • Closed Rural Health Facilities Capital Improvement Program; $39,900,000.00 in Budget Year 1; awards of $100,000 to $10,000,000; opened Jun 1, 2026, deadline Jul 10, 2026; eligible: Licensed rural clinics, federally qualified health centers or look-alikes, critical access and other rural hospitals, rural EMS, rural behavioral health or substance use providers and independent rural practices
  • Closed Telehealth Infrastructure for Rural Access Program; $5,000,000 in Budget Year 1; awards of $50,000 to $500,000; opened Jun 1, 2026, deadline Jul 10, 2026; eligible: Organizations that qualify as rural under the state's program definition and document their need; 10% cost share
  • Awarded Rural Clinician Credit Bank; $5,630,000.00 in Budget Year 1; opened May 15, 2026, deadline Jun 25, 2026; eligible: Rural health clinics, rural FQHCs, critical access hospitals, small rural hospitals, Rural Emergency Hospitals and other rural providers
Next
LDH lists notices of intent to contract for the Rural Clinician Credit Bank as "Completed"; the credit bank notice says the program "operates on an open enrollment basis," with applications reviewed on a rolling basis as funding remains available, and June 25, 2026 was the deadline for Year 1 funds. LDH set Oct. 2, 2026 for the other six rounds' notices, with "Notification of denial for all remaining strategies by October 16, 2026"; it has not posted a list of recipients. An Oct. 1, 2026 webinar puts contract completion by Oct. 30 and the next round of funding notices in January to March 2027. The Rural Tech Catalyst Fund, run by LDH and Louisiana Innovation, makes milestone-based awards to U.S.-based companies or organizations founded within the past 10 years that have raised less than $50 million; its first cohort's awards are expected in mid-October 2026, and the page says applications for a second cohort will open soon.
Sources: CMS, first-year awards, LDH program page, LDH funding opportunities, Louisiana's application, Telehealth Infrastructure for Rural Access notice, Rural Health Facilities Capital Improvement notice, Rural Clinician Credit Bank notice, Rural Collaborative Provider Models notice, Rural Medicaid Alternative Payment Model notice, Regional Care Conveners notice, Food is Medicine notice, LDH webinar, Oct. 1, 2026, Rural Tech Catalyst Fund
Checked against its sources

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

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