Washington state supporting the innovative development of rural health care across primary and specialty care, hospitals, workforce development, technology investment, and chronic disease…

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services awarded the Health Care Authority of Washington a $725.030 million cooperative agreement on December 29, 2025, under the Rural Health Transformation Program (CFDA 93.798) to support innovative rural healthcare delivery across Washington State through December 2030. The award funds six integrated initiatives addressing primary and specialty care, rural hospital financial solvency, workforce development, technology and data-driven solutions, chronic disease management, and behavioral health system expansion across the state's rural communities.

The Health Care Authority distributes funding to 16 tribal governments and state organizations delivering place-based rural health transformation work. Tribal recipients—Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation, Nisqually Indian Tribe, Cowlitz Indian Tribe, Quileute Indian Tribe, Stillaguamish Tribe, Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe, Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe, Quinault Indian Nation, Makah Indian Tribe, Kalispel Indian Community, Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, Skokomish Indian Tribe, Samish Indian Nation, Nooksack Indian Tribe, Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, and Jamestown S'klallam Tribe—support Initiative 3 activities focused on health services delivery to Native American and Alaska Native populations. Non-tribal sub-recipients include the Washington State Hospital Association, the Washington Rural Health Collaborative, and the Superintendent of Public Instruction supporting hospital operations and youth-focused rural health initiatives. The program targets increased training capacity for tribal providers, nurses, and long-term care workers; investment in artificial intelligence and digital health technologies; provider adoption of evidence-based data solutions; and expansion of rural behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment infrastructure to improve financial resilience and health outcomes for rural hospitals and providers statewide.

Washington state supporting the innovative development of rural health care across primary and specialty care, hospitals, workforce development, technology investment, and chronic disease management. - subrecipients or sub-awardee organizations: department of health (including the state office of rural health), department of social and health services, the rural collaborative, rural health redesign center, the washington state hospital association, university of washington, washington state university (WSU), project extension for community health outcomes (echo), and area agencies on aging. Project goals: -create opportunities for health in rural washington -foster partnerships across the rural health care delivery system -grow washington's workforce -deploy technology and data-driven solutions to empower communities with healthy opportunities, increased efficiencies, and connectivity -improve financial solvency for rural hospitals and providers total budget amount: washington proposes to spend $1 billion across the five-year RHT program. The application allocates $200 million a year for six initiatives and administrative expenditures. How washington will use the funds: the RHT program offers washington an unparalleled opportunity to invest in rural access to quality health care, and the long-term vitality of washington's rural communities. Washington's RHT program seeks to build a healthier, more resilient, and financially sustainable rural health system by investing $1 billion over five years to ignite innovation in rural hospitals, prevent disease and manage care in community settings, invest in the health of native families, increase provider adoption of technology and data solutions, develop washington's rural workforce, and expand and sustain the rural behavioral health system. Each initiative supports the state's goals through activities, which include increasing training capacity for tribal providers, nurses and long-term care workers; investing in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity technology; and supporting payment transformation for rural hospitals and behavioral health clinics. Washington's spending plan focuses on investments that can be sustained past the duration of the RHT program. Where practical, funded activities leverage expansion of existing programs, such as proposed investments in project echo or wsus rural provider training. Other activities will directly support providers and facilities through distribution of RHT funds for technology, provider recruitment, and infrastructure investments.