Rural Technology Transformation Fund Application

The Rural Health Transformation Program will award an estimated $209 million over five years in technology grants. Grants will be rolled out in two rounds to different types of healthcare organizations. Through these grants, Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) seeks to bolster the state’s capacity to provide high-quality care to rural residents via technological innovations. Applicants may apply to multiple Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) funding opportunities for which their organizations are eligible. 

Key dates

• Application release: July 1, 2026
• Application submission due: Aug. 1, 2026 
• Application questions due: July 7, 2026. Responses will be posted within one week. 
• Please send questions to: dhsruralhealth@dhs.wisconsin.gov and place Technology Transformation Application Questions in the Subject line. 
• Estimated date for award notification: September 2026 

Estimated funding

Funds will be distributed to eligible organizations in two separate funding rounds as outlined below. 

Eligible applicants by funding round  

Round 1: This funding announcement pertains to Round 1, which includes an estimated $61 million, pending CMS approval, to be allocated over three years beginning in 2026. Round 1 funds will be allocated to healthcare organizations with one or more Rural Health Clinics and healthcare organizations with one or more Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) serving rural and semi-rural communities as defined in Addendum Exhibits 3 and 4. Only organizations listed in Addendum Exhibit 4 are eligible to apply for Round 1 funding.

Round 2: The second round of funds, estimated at $148 million pending CMS approval, will be allocated over three to four years beginning in the summer or fall of 2027. Round 2 funds will be available to other types of health organizations as outlined in Exhibit 3: hospital organizations with one or more locations, local health departments, Tribal clinics, healthcare organizations with one or more free and charitable clinics, and healthcare organizations with one or more opioid treatment facilities serving rural and semi-rural communities. A separate funding opportunity for Round 2 funds will be announced in 2027, along with a list of eligible organizations.

Round 1: Estimated funds for FQHCs 

• Year 1 (10/1/2026–7/31/2027)
  • Total funding available: $15,000,000 
  • Average anticipated award per organization: $1,260,000 
• Year 2* (8/1/2027–7/31/2028)
  • Total funding available: $5,000,000 
  • Average anticipated award per organization: $420,000 
• Year 3* (8/1/2028–7/31/2029 )
  • Total funding available: $5,000,000 
  • Average anticipated award per organization: $420,000 

Round 1: Estimated funds for rural health clinics 

• Year 1 (10/1/2026–7/31/2027)
  • Total funding available: $28,000,000 
  • Average anticipated award per organization: $1,011,111 
• Year 2* (8/1/2027–7/31/2028)
  • Total funding available:$6,000,000 
  • Average anticipated award per organization: $216,667 
• Year 3* (8/1/2028–7/31/2029 )
  • Total funding available: $2,000,000
  • Average anticipated award per organization: $72,222 

*Pending CMS approval

Background

The Wisconsin Rural Health Transformation Program is focused on improving healthcare access and health outcomes in rural communities across Wisconsin. This funding opportunity is part of RHTP, a federal funding opportunity provided to states through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). DHS received a first-year award from CMS for $203,670,005.21 to invest in rural capacity, sustainability, and innovation. The program aims to improve access to care through three initiatives: strengthening the healthcare workforce, enhancing technology innovation, and cultivating coordinated care partnerships. Through collaboration among healthcare providers, public health agencies, and community-based organizations, the program seeks to improve health and well-being in rural communities.  

As artificial intelligence, interoperability, and cybersecurity shape how care is delivered, rural facilities need to adopt digital tools that meet their unique clinical and operational needs. Health technology solutions have the potential to accelerate improved quality, expanded access, and reduced cost of care for rural residents. Adopting more efficient and effective technologies increases provider satisfaction and lowers turnover, improving the healthcare experience for providers as well as patients. Investing in next-generation technology will enable rural facilities to streamline workflows, improve interoperability, strengthen data security, purchase hardware, and improve patient care.

Purpose

These funds are intended to invest in technology that: 

• Removes barriers to care for rural residents.
• Maximizes provider productivity. 
• Ensures improved patient or community health outcomes. 

Program requirements

• Successful organizations must use grant funds to: 
  • Benefit rural residents. A healthcare organization may operate several facilities across the state. In general, funds should be used to benefit rural residents through investments in facilities located outside of metropolitan core areas.  
  • Purchase eligible technologies. All proposed technologies must be clearly linked to the goals of removing barriers to care, maximizing provider productivity, and improving health outcomes for rural Wisconsinites. 
• Examples of eligible program activities include upgrading IT systems, upgrading Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems, subscribing to data analytics or other digital tools, and purchasing patient and provider devices. 
  • Patient devices could include tools such as Bluetooth-enabled blood-pressure monitors, continuous glucose monitors, and digital weight scales to support patients with chronic disease management.  
  • Provider devices could include tools such as ambient AI for notetaking to reduce administrative burdens, improve provider well-being, and enhance patient interactions; telehealth-capable computers and tablets to facilitate digital access; and robotic surgical systems to transform in-person care. 

Organizations representing more than one health facility should carefully consider the needs and capacities of the different facilities under the organizational umbrella. Applications should clearly outline how the organization will use and distribute the technology to ensure benefit to rural residents and healthcare providers, and which facilities under the organizational umbrella will be included in or benefit from the project. 

Group purchasing is encouraged for healthcare organizations interested in achieving economies of scale through shared purchases. For example, local public health departments could partner with their association to purchase shared data analytics tools. Alternatively, if multiple rural hospitals want to purchase new software functions or upgrades, this grant could facilitate a shared purchase between the hospitals and vendors. This could include software solutions or infrastructure that enable participation in data exchanges and interoperability, or larger purchases such as robotic surgical systems. 

Survey submission

This application must be completed by 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 1, 2026. Only applications submitted through this survey will be considered.  

Applications must include: 

• Responses to the statements in the Survey Questions section. Any information beyond the word count limit will not be read, reviewed, or scored. 
• Proposed budget and justification. The budget justification does not count toward the narrative response word limit.  

Organizations may request technical assistance for preparing their applications from the University of Wisconsin-Population Health Institute, Wisconsin Office of Rural Health, and Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality. Technical assistance can be requested for describing local health needs using community data, accessing information to quantify the local health context, project evaluation planning, and/or developing performance measures. These partners have no input on funding decisions. To learn more, send a request to RHTP-evaluation@wisc.edu. 

Applicants should reach out directly to DHS at DHSRuralHealth@dhs.wisconsin.gov for questions regarding technical difficulties with the application submission process. Note: questions about the funding opportunity, including eligibility requirements, budgets, allowable and unallowable expenses, and related topics, must be submitted by July 7, 2026, and will be answered through published FAQs.    

This program is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $203,670,005.21 with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CMS/HHS, or the U.S. Government.