Wisconsin’s Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) is housed within the State Department of Health Services, under the Office of Grants Management. Funding, and program requirements, come from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
At the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health, we have been grateful to be included in the planning process for the application and now implementation. As RHTP’s external evaluators, we will participate in the Internal Advisory Council, and based on our 50 years of work in rural health in the state, also have a non-voting seat on the External Advisory Council. Our intention is to leverage that access to build a communications bridge between the state’s grant program and communities at large, providing updates on progress, goals, and outcomes.
News and Updates
April 2nd, 2026
Hello everyone. I hope the longer, sunnier days and new blossoms are bringing neighbors outside to reconnect and kick-start your plans for warmer weather! It’s time for another update on the progress of the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP)
As of early April, WI-DHS is on track according to the proposed schedule to CMS. Almost all signed statements of work from the state agency “Implementation Partners” are in; this includes 16 state agencies and over 29 projects. Most have detailed work plans and are starting to implement. Some of the funding flows to other state agencies, like staging areas based on that agency’s expertise. For example, the Department of Workforce Development will oversee many of the workforce initiatives. Some of those agency implementation partners will fund community recipients directly, others will post requests for proposals from community members. The Implementation Partners will be meeting in late April to set up their evaluation plans, and to clarify expectations and timelines.
WI-DHS has set up an External Advisory Council (EAC) to meet quarterly, review progress to date, and make recommendations. While CMS demands that Wisconsin’s grant function as it was proposed for all five years, but if projects are hitting a dead end, DHS leadership (relying on input from the EAC) can consider redirecting that funding to other projects showing promise. Also, while this grant is funding many initiatives, other ideas will spring up from the work, and the EAC can work on possibilities for additional, non-RHTP projects.
At WORH, we have been grateful to be included in the planning process for the application and now implementation. As external evaluators, we will participate in the Internal Advisory Council, and based on our 50 years of work in rural health, have a non-voting seat on the EAC. We also hope to be a communications bridge (like this) between the grant program and communities at large, providing news on progress, goals, and outcomes.
John Eich, Director, WI Office of Rural Health
February 20th, 2026
Since the Department of Health Services (DHS) has engaged with our office on the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), we’d like to update you all when we have news. Here’s the latest.
Wisconsin received more funding than requested, so a revised budget was necessary. DHS submitted it, and was the second in the nation to be approved! They are in the midst of hiring key staff to run it, and those names should be released very soon.
One concern we heard nationally last week at NRHA’s Capitol Hill event was states’ ability to get funds out the door in time (TX for example has an average time from invoice to check of 400 days!). DHS is currently working with the WI Dept Of Administration on creating some exemptions, given CMS’ fierce focus on immediate progress. Payment regulations were created to avoid misuse of taxpayer funds, but this is great leverage to take a fresh look at them.
Over 90 applications have been submitted for 17-20 seats on the External Advisory Council. That’s a lot of great candidates, and challenging to winnow down. DHS wants regional representation, so areas with more applicants will have steeper competition, as will Council roles with more applicants.
Our office is part of a national network of state rural health offices, and we’re having weekly conversations about what we’re all seeing and doing. Some of us are leading their state’s RHTP team, while others are kept at arm’s length. These conversations have been invaluable to help us learn from good ideas in other states and pitfalls to avoid. DHS has been very open to this feedback, and their team has impressed us with their hard work and sincerity in creating the best possible program.
We’ve heard some concerns from healthcare partners about CMS’ requirements in how the funding must be spent, and we share them. The question for us all is how we can make the best Wisconsin lemonade within the federal rules. The External Advisory Council is the mechanism to share ongoing feedback over the next five years, and as RHTP’s external evaluators, our office will be reporting out publicly on progress and outcomes.
Keep in touch, and stay tuned…
John Eich, Director, WI Office of Rural Health