Rural health network development planning grant program - project description: this project aims to enhance patient progression strategies within the billings clinic health care network, which…

The Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration awarded Billings Clinic Foundation $100,000 on July 1, 2026, under the Rural Healthcare Services Programs (CFDA 93.912), specifically the Rural Health Network Development Planning grant program.

The award funds a one-year project through June 30, 2027, to enhance patient progression strategies within the Billings Clinic Health Care Network, which serves Montana, Wyoming, and the Western Dakotas. Billings Clinic Foundation will conduct a regional patient progression needs assessment and develop standardized policies and procedures to improve care transitions and patient outcomes across the network's critical access hospitals. Key deliverables include establishing a standardized patient progression framework, improving rural post-acute care coordination to reduce transfer delays and readmission rates, and developing long-term financial sustainability strategies for patient progression initiatives. The project prioritizes reducing health disparities for Native American communities and elderly rural residents by addressing fragmented care coordination, workforce shortages, and resource gaps that currently limit access to specialized care and create gaps in care continuity.

Place of performance is Billings, Montana.

Rural health network development planning grant program - project description: this project aims to enhance patient progression strategies within the billings clinic health care network, which serves montana, wyoming, and the western dakotas. By improving care coordination and transitions across rural facilities, the initiative will strengthen healthcare delivery and outcomes. Key objectives include: establishing a standardized patient progression framework across network-affiliated critical access hospitals (cahs). -improving rural post-acute care coordination to ensure smoother patient transitions. -reducing health disparities for vulnerable populations, including native american communities and elderly rural residents. -enhancing health care efficiency by minimizing transfer delays and readmission rates. -developing long-term financial sustainability for patient progression initiatives. By collaborating with network participant organizations and cahs, this project will conduct a regional patient progression needs assessment and develop standardized policies and procedures to improve care transitions and patient outcomes in rural communities. Needs to be addressed: rural health care facilities in the service region face significant challenges, including: - fragmented patient progression: uncoordinated transitions result in longer hospital stays and inefficient resource use. -rural healthcare disparities: geographic isolation, workforce shortages, and financial constraints limit access to specialized care. -delays in transfers & readmissions: patients experience significant wait times in accessing appropriate post-acute care. -lack of standardized policies: inconsistent patient progression frameworks create gaps in care continuity. -funding & resource gaps: many cahs lack financial and administrative capacity to implement sustainable care coordination strategies. This project will establish a structured approach to patient progression, ensuring smoother transitions, enhanced communication, and improved access to appropriate post-acute care. Proposed services: the initiative will introduce a regional patient progression steering committee to oversee strategies, guide care transitions, and implement discharge planning protocols. Key services include: -developing standardized policies and procedures for patient progression. -expanding care coordination between in-network and out-of-network facilities. -enhancing post-acute care planning to support timely patient transfers. -strengthening rural telemedicine and remote monitoring options. -identifying long-term funding solutions to sustain improvements. Target population: the project will benefit over a million people in montana, wyoming, and the western dakotas, with a focus on supporting cahs serving those rural communities. Expected outcomes: by implementing this initiative, the project aims to: -reduce hospital stay lengths by improving care transitions. -expand access to rural post-acute care services. -lower readmission rates through better discharge planning. -enhance provider coordination via standardized patient progression protocols. -increase the use of telemedicine for follow-up care. -secure sustainable funding for long-term patient progression strategies. This project will foster a more integrated, efficient, and accessible health care system, ultimately improving patient outcomes across the billings clinic frontier network.