Rural Workforce Transformation
Workforce needs assessments, recruitment and retention strategies, career pathways, competency development, upskilling, reskilling and continuing education for licensed and non-licensed healthcare workers.
Rural Health Transformation Program
From rural health funding to measurable transformation.
Coral MED helps states, rural healthcare organizations and implementation partners turn Rural Health Transformation Program investments into sustainable improvements in workforce, technology, quality, operations, data and access to care.
Healthcare onlyPublic health, quality and operations specialists since 2019.
IACET accreditedAccredited Provider #5660539-2, with 244 courses ready to deploy.
WOSB / SDBSmall-business prime, teaming and subcontracting. SAM.gov active.
Hawaiʻi based, national reachOnline delivery and project teams for any state.
$50BFederal RHTP investment
50 statesEvery state holds an award
5 yearsAnnual awards, fiscal years 2026 to 2030
$188.9MHawaiʻi's first-year award
The implementation challenge
Funding alone does not transform rural healthcare.
Transformation happens when funding becomes executable programs, capable workforces, usable technology and outcomes that can be measured.
CMS set up the program to strengthen sustainable access, develop the rural health workforce, support innovative care models and speed up technology-enabled care. Coral MED works where those priorities meet, from assessment and strategy through implementation, workforce development, technical assistance, measurement and continuous improvement.
RHTP solutions
Six capabilities. One transformation partner.
Coral MED can support a complete initiative or provide specialized capabilities within a state, prime contractor or provider-led RHTP program.
Implementation & Program Management
Program management, implementation roadmaps, work plans, stakeholder coordination, risk management, deliverable tracking, governance and implementation readiness.
Data, Research & Evaluation
Rural workforce studies, needs assessments, provider landscapes, quantitative and qualitative analysis, performance measures, dashboards, evaluation frameworks and outcomes reporting.
Digital Health & Technology Readiness
Health IT readiness, workflow modernization, interoperability, data governance, analytics readiness, technology adoption and responsible integration of digital and AI-enabled tools.
Quality & Value-Based Transformation
Quality improvement, performance measurement, organizational readiness, provider engagement, care transformation and preparation for value-based delivery and reimbursement.
Training & Technical Assistance
IACET-accredited continuing education, customized workforce academies, asynchronous learning, implementation training, technical assistance and competency-based professional development.
Who we support
Built to work across the RHTP ecosystem.
We are open to working with any organization involved in RHTP, in any state, as a prime, a partner or a subcontractor.
State RHTP programs
Program design, implementation support, workforce strategy, technical assistance, research, evaluation and performance monitoring.
Rural hospitals & health systems
Workforce development, organizational readiness, quality improvement, technology adoption, operational transformation and implementation support.
FQHCs & Rural Health Clinics
Practice transformation, workforce capacity, training, data readiness, workflow improvement, quality and value-based care preparation.
Prime contractors & implementation partners
Specialized healthcare, workforce, research, training, analytics, implementation and technical-assistance capabilities for RHTP teams.
Workforce & educational partners
Career pathways, competency frameworks, continuing education, employer-aligned curricula and scalable rural workforce academies.
Community & regional organizations
Community needs assessment, stakeholder engagement, workforce initiatives, implementation planning and rural health capacity building.
Our approach
From needs assessment to sustained impact.
We structure transformation work around measurable implementation, not reports that end on a shelf.
Assess
Establish baseline needs, capacity, workforce gaps and stakeholder priorities.
Design
Translate evidence and requirements into an executable solution.
Implement
Coordinate people, workflows, technology, training and deliverables.
Measure
Track implementation, outputs, outcomes and emerging risks.
Sustain
Build organizational capacity that remains after initial funding.
Hawaiʻi RHTP
Transformation in our home state.
Hawaiʻi received a first-year award of $188.9 million, among the highest in the country per rural resident, with further annual awards expected through 2030.
As a Hawaiʻi-based healthcare organization, Coral MED understands the geographic, workforce, operational and access challenges that make transformation in an island state different from the continental U.S. Almost all of the state's land area is rural, and care is concentrated on Oʻahu.
Coral MED's Hawaiʻi focusRural workforce capacity, FQHC and Rural Health Clinic transformation, healthcare technology readiness, quality improvement, research and evaluation, accredited education and implementation support.
Hawaiʻi's six initiatives
From the state's Rural Health Transformation Plan.
- Rural Health Information Network (RHIN)Interoperable records, secure networks and shared data for rural providers.
- Pili Ola Telehealth NetworkTelehealth access points in community settings, with navigators and remote monitoring.
- Rural Infrastructure for Care Access (RICA)Emergency services, mobile care, community paramedicine and behavioral health capacity.
- HOME RUNThe rural healthcare workforce pipeline: training sites, residencies, scholarships and incentives.
- Rural Respite NetworkFive medical respite centers across the islands.
- Rural Value-Based Innovation and AHEAD Readiness FundHelping rural providers adopt value-based care and population health models.
Accredited workforce development
Training that connects learning to implementation.
Infrastructure and technology investments only pay off when the workforce can adopt, operate and sustain them. Coral MED pairs transformation expertise with an accredited learning platform that reaches staff wherever they work.
- IACET-accredited continuing educationAsynchronous delivery that scales across dispersed sites.
- Competency-aligned, role-based pathwaysCurricula built around the jobs an initiative changes.
- CEU and completion trackingAudit-ready learning records for every learner.
- Customized academiesOrganizational and statewide academies, with technical assistance alongside.
Healthcare operationsRevenue cycle, administration, compliance and operational readiness.
Quality & valueQuality management, measurement and value-based care.
Data & analyticsData literacy, analytics and decision support.
Digital healthEHR, interoperability, health IT and technology readiness.
Clinical integrationCoordinated care, workflows and cross-functional delivery.
LeadershipImplementation leadership, change capability and team development.
Why Coral MED
Healthcare transformation requires more than one discipline.
We bring healthcare operations, public health, workforce development, technology, quality and implementation science into one delivery model, because those are the things that decide whether a rural health investment succeeds.
150+rural healthcare professionals trained
8rural provider sites, including FQHCs and rural hospitals
244IACET-accredited courses
85%+training completion rate
Prime & teaming opportunities
Building stronger RHTP implementation teams.
We welcome conversations with state agencies, health systems, associations, technology firms, consulting organizations and prime contractors building RHTP delivery teams.
Prime contractor
Coral MED can lead healthcare workforce, research, training, implementation, quality and technical-assistance engagements.
Specialized subcontractor
Add our healthcare, workforce, public health, analytics, education and implementation capabilities to a larger RHTP team.
Local implementation partner
For Hawaiʻi initiatives, local healthcare knowledge combined with the infrastructure to support statewide implementation.
RHTP opportunities & insights
Following rural transformation from policy to procurement.
As states deploy their funding, opportunities are emerging through procurements, grants, subawards, technical-assistance contracts and implementation partnerships. We follow a growing list of states closely, and we welcome partners from every state.
$188.9M
First-year award, federal fiscal year 2026
- Coordinated by
- Office of the Governor, with the Department of Health, Department of Human Services and University of Hawaiʻi
- Plan
- Hawaiʻi Rural Health Transformation Plan, six initiatives
- Rural footprint
- 95.1% of land area; 40.8% of residents
Where it stands
- Six interconnected initiatives covering health information, telehealth, emergency and mobile care, workforce, medical respite and value-based care.
- The state reports one of the highest awards per rural resident, driven by the quality of its plan.
- Funds are released to lead agencies and partners and must follow state procurement law.
- An oversight team coordinates delivery across departments, providers and community organizations.
Coral MED's readThis is our home state. The plan builds new networks and payment models, which only work if the staff in rural clinics are trained to use them. That is where we focus.
Sources: State of Hawaiʻi RHTP ↗
$197.3M
First-year award, 2026
- Lead
- Oregon Health Authority, with the Oregon Office of Rural Health
- Plan
- Five initiatives, including Workforce Capacity & Resilience and Technology & Data Modernization
- Tribal initiative
- Set-aside for the nine federally recognized Tribes
Where it stands
- Funding moves through competitive Catalyst Awards and direct awards to rural hospitals, rural health clinics and local public health authorities.
- The first Catalyst round drew more than 500 proposals and funded 85 organizations.
- The Office of Rural Health runs regional convenings and technical assistance.
- A later phase is planned for regional, cross-organization projects.
Coral MED's readWith many grantees delivering at once, the need shifts from winning funds to executing. Grantees with workforce or technology projects are natural partners.
Sources: Oregon Health Authority ↗ · Oregon Office of Rural Health ↗
$281.3M
First-year award, the largest in the country
- Lead
- Texas Health and Human Services Commission
- Plan
- Rural Texas Strong, six initiatives
- Where notices appear
- HHSC GovDelivery and the Electronic State Business Daily
Where it stands
- Initiatives span chronic disease prevention, consumer health technology, telehealth and AI, rural workforce, cybersecurity and infrastructure.
- HHSC uses direct awards, requests for applications and requests for offers, depending on the initiative.
- Early awards have gone to rural hospital districts and authorities for prevention and wellness programs.
- Texas has the most rural residents of any state and the smallest award per rural resident.
Coral MED's readProviders will need to stretch each grant. Organizations receiving prevention, workforce or technology funding are near-term partners for staff training and implementation support.
Sources: Texas HHSC ↗
$193M
First-year award, approximate
- Lead
- Minnesota Department of Health
- Plan
- Five initiatives
- Main recipients
- Rural hospitals, Tribal Nations, health centers and community behavioral health providers
Where it stands
- Most funding goes out as grants, released in rounds.
- Opportunities have included workforce retention, rural residency, clinical rotations, tele-mentoring and telehealth access points.
- Grantees carry out readiness assessments and can draw on technical assistance providers.
- Past performance is considered before later grants are made to the same grantee.
Coral MED's readMinnesota funds many specific grants, some limited to Minnesota-based applicants. The route in is as a training or technical assistance partner to a local grantee.
Sources: Minnesota Department of Health ↗
$212.1M
First-year award, 2026
- Lead
- New York State Department of Health
- Plan
- Four initiatives, shaped with nearly 170 stakeholder organizations
- Eligible area
- 48 designated rural counties
Where it stands
- The first opportunity, Rural Community Health Integration, funds coordinated rural health partnerships.
- It offers county-level planning funds and larger implementation awards.
- The emphasis is on partnerships between hospitals, health departments and community organizations, not new facilities.
- The department describes it as the first of several opportunities.
Coral MED's readNew York is funding partnerships, not single organizations. County partnerships will need project management and workforce plans to move from planning to implementation.
Sources: NYS Department of Health ↗
$50B
Five years, $10 billion a year, all 50 states
- Administered by
- CMS Office of Rural Health Transformation
- First-year awards
- $147 million to $281 million per state
- Funds must be spent by
- End of federal fiscal year 2032
Where it stands
- Half of the funding is split equally among states; the rest follows need, plan quality and state policy.
- States must use funds for at least three permitted uses and cannot replace existing funding.
- Awards are cooperative agreements, so CMS stays closely involved after award.
- States report annually and quarterly, and CMS can reduce funding where progress is not satisfactory.
- CMS expects lasting improvements, not funding for ongoing operating costs.
Coral MED's readYear one was about getting money out. From year two, states are judged on progress, which raises the value of partners who can deliver quickly and document results.
Sources: KFF ↗
$205.9M
First-year award, federal fiscal year 2026
- Lead
- Office of the Governor, with the Department of Health and Division of Medicaid
- Plan
- Six initiatives
- How funds move
- Grant opportunities for providers, released in rounds
Where it stands
- The plan starts with a statewide rural health assessment carried out by a third party, looking ten years ahead.
- Other initiatives cover health technology modernization, infrastructure, coordinated care, workforce and telehealth.
- Mississippi is one of the few states where the governor's office directly manages distribution.
- Early grant rounds have gone to hospitals, clinics and regional collaborations.
Coral MED's readMississippi has moved a large share of its first-year funding quickly. Grantees now have technology and infrastructure projects to deliver, and staff to train for them.
Sources: Office of the Governor ↗
$208.4M
First-year award, federal fiscal year 2026
- Lead
- Louisiana Department of Health
- Plan
- Six initiatives
- Rural footprint
- About 1.1 million residents in rural parishes
Where it stands
- Workforce expansion includes recruitment and retention grants, education partnerships and grow-your-own career pipelines.
- Technology modernization covers telehealth, digital literacy and a rural technology fund.
- Other initiatives fund new care-delivery models, coordinated care networks, community nutrition and fitness, and capital improvements.
- Target organizations include rural health clinics, critical access hospitals, health centers and community-based organizations.
Coral MED's readLouisiana has put workforce and technology at the front of its plan. Education partnerships and career pipelines are a direct fit for accredited training partners.
Sources: Louisiana Department of Health ↗
$206.9M
First-year award, federal fiscal year 2026
- Lead
- Tennessee Department of Health
- Plan
- Five objectives, 17 initiatives
- How funds move
- Competitive, reimbursement-based grants
Where it stands
- Priorities include care access, maternal and child health, technology modernization, workforce pipeline and community prevention.
- Grant programs include Healthcare Resiliency Program grants and community grants run through County Health Councils.
- Rural hospitals, health centers, non-profits and community organizations registered with the state can apply.
- The state says it favors projects that can scale and remain viable after the five years.
Coral MED's readTennessee reimburses grantees after they spend, so projects need tight delivery and documentation. Grantees benefit from partners who can show results and records from the start.
Sources: Tennessee Department of Health ↗
Not on this list?These are the states we follow most closely, not the limit of where we work. Coral MED is open to working with any state, provider, community organization or contractor involved in RHTP, anywhere in the country. Tell us about your state →
Program overviews as of October 2026, drawn from official state and federal sources. For current solicitations and deadlines, use each state's program page.
Work with Coral MED
Planning, procuring or implementing an RHTP initiative?
Whether you are designing an initiative, preparing a solicitation, responding to an RHTP opportunity, implementing an award or assembling a delivery team, Coral MED can help move the work from strategy to measurable implementation.
Discuss an RHTP partnership →About the Rural Health Transformation Program: The program is administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Coral MED Management Institute Inc is an independent healthcare consulting, technology and workforce-development organization and is not affiliated with or endorsed by CMS. Program funding, requirements and state implementation activities are subject to change. Consult official federal and state sources for current program and procurement information.