NOI Federal RHTP Identifying Eligible Facilities and Defining Rural Communities.pdf

Federal Rural Health Transformation Program Identifying Eligible Facilities NOI Page 1 of 10

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

One Ashburton Place, 11th floor Boston, MA 02108

NOTICE OF INTENT

FEDERAL RURAL HEALTH TRANSFORMATION PROGRAM

IDENTIFYING ELIGIBLE FACILITIES

and

DEFINING RURAL COMMUNITIES

DOCUMENT #: 26KWEHSRHTPIDLGGAC

Issue Date: September 25, 2025

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I. BACKGROUND

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) plans to submit a grant application to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in response to the federal Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), identifiable by federal grant number CMS-RHT-26-001. EOHHS expects to utilize the resources available to the agency, including through the MassHealth program operated by EOHHS, and through coordination with the Department of Public Health (DPH) and other relevant agencies, to develop and facilitate program activities proposed through its grant application, if approved by CMS. This CMS funding opportunity aims to help state governments “support rural communities across America in improving healthcare access, quality, and outcomes by transforming the healthcare delivery ecosystem.”

States will help rural communities meet the following strategic goals, described in more detail in the NOFO:

Make rural America healthy again: Support preventive health and address the root causes of disease.

Sustainable access: Help rural providers become long-term access points for care by improving efficiency and sustainability.

Workforce development: Attract and retain a high-skilled health care workforce by strengthening recruitment and retention of healthcare providers in rural communities.

Innovative care: Spark the growth of innovative care models to improve health outcomes, coordinate care, and promote flexible care arrangements.

Tech innovation: Foster use of innovative technologies that promote efficient care delivery, data security, and access to digital health tools by rural facilities, providers, and patients.

As part of its grant application, EOHHS must “[d]escribe the current rural health landscape in your State and the specific challenges that the RHT Program plan seeks to address [and] [d]escribe the specific criteria or data that your State uses to identify rural areas in this application.” It also must “[i]dentify the target populations and geographic areas in your State that will benefit from the program.”

In order to meet these requirements for the grant application, EOHHS is announcing through this NOI 1) the rural health facilities it intends to partner with to meet the strategic goals of the funding and 2) the definition it used to determine the rural health facilities, target populations and geographic areas.

If awarded funding through the RHTP, EOHHS will consider partnering with rural health facilities to meet the strategic goals of the funding. The rural health facilities EOHHS

Federal Rural Health Transformation Program Identifying Eligible Facilities NOI Page 3 of 10 considers eligible for partnership were identified according to the criteria described in this NOI, and are listed in Attachment A to this NOI.

Facilities that are identified in Attachment A will be eligible to be included as a partnering entity in the state’s application to the RHTP. However, being listed in Attachment A is not an indication that an entity will be a sub-grantee or sub-awardee under the RHTP.

II. DEFINITION OF RURAL

While the RHTP NOFO identifies specific definitions and sources for determining rurality for purposes of scoring aspects of the application, the RHTP NOFO also requires the state to “describe the specific criteria or data that your State uses to identify rural areas in this application.”

To meet the RHTP NOFO requirement to identify the specific criteria Massachusetts uses to identify rural areas, EOHHS intends to use the Massachusetts State Office of Rural Health Rural Definition (the “MA Definition”) to define rural geographies in the state. This framework for a state-specific definition was created in 2002 and is used for assessment and planning purposes by the State Office of Rural Health. It incorporates three commonly used federal definitions, rural population characteristics, and rural provider characteristics to define rural communities. In 2022, the MA Definition was approved as one of the Department of Public Health’s Data Standards, which provides guidelines for collecting and reporting on health-related information.

As specified in the MA Definition, a municipality in Massachusetts is considered rural if it meets one of the following criteria:

Meets at least one of three federal rural definitions at the sub-county level (Census Bureau, Office of Management and Budget, or Rural-Urban Commuting Area Codes), and/or

Has a population of fewer than 10,000 people and a population density below 500 people per square mile, and/or

Has an acute care hospital in the town that meets the state hospital licensure definition of a small rural hospital (SRH) or is a certified Critical Access Hospital (CAH).

Per the MA Definition, rural towns are also classified into two categories of rurality. Towns classified as rural level one meet fewer rural criteria than towns considered rural at level two. To determine the level of rurality, the MA Definition uses a composite scoring system “with points assigned for meeting particular definitions of rural.”

The list of Massachusetts towns considered rural, and their determined category of rurality by this criteria, is available here.

https://www.mass.gov/info-details/state-office-of-rural-health-rural-definition https://www.mass.gov/info-details/state-office-of-rural-health-rural-definition https://www.mass.gov/doc/massachusetts-rural-towns-list/download

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III. CRITERIA FOR IDENTIFYING RURAL HEALTH FACILITIES

The RHTP NOFO also requires the state to identify the rural health facilities with which EOHHS intends to partner. Specifically, EOHHS intends to partner with:

Rural-Located Facilities: as defined in the NOFO and regulatory language; and

Rural-Serving Facilities: facilities as defined in a rural community, as determined by the MA Definition.

A. Rural-Located Facility Criteria

The NOFO and statutory language (P.L. 119-21 s. 71401) outline eligible facilities and rural facility definitions that will be used to score the application. These facilities are:

1. Rural Hospitals (including Critical Access Hospitals, Sole Community Hospitals, Medicare Dependent Hospitals, Low Volume Hospitals, Rural Emergency Hospitals, and other Rural Hospitals) that are located in a rural census tract of a metropolitan statistical area (as determined under the most recent modification of the Goldsmith Modification, originally published in the Federal Register on February 27, 1992 (57 Fed. Reg. 6725)).

2. Rural Health Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers or Public Health Service Act Section 330 Grantees or Look-Alikes, Community Mental Health Centers, Opioid Treatment Programs, and Community Behavioral Health Centers that are located in a rural area based on the most recent version of the rural definition maintained by HRSA.

Section I of Attachment A includes facilities who have been identified as meeting these criteria.

B. Rural-Serving Facility Criteria

Rural-Serving Facilities include the following entities: Federally Qualified Health Centers or Public Health Service Act Section 330 Grantees or Look-Alikes, Community Mental Health Centers, Opioid Treatment Programs, and Community Behavioral Health Centers that serve rural patients.

EOHHS has determined that facilities must have served over 5,000 patients in 2023 from a rural community, as defined by the MA Definition, to be considered a Rural-Serving Facility.

Information used to determine if a facility meets the minimum patient utilization criterion for Federally Qualified Health Centers was sourced from HRSA’s Health Center Program GeoCare Navigator.

Section II of Attachment A includes facilities who have been identified as meeting these criteria.

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2000-09-12/pdf/00-23195.pdf https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2000-09-12/pdf/00-23195.pdf https://www.hrsa.gov/rural-health/about-us/what-is-rural https://www.hrsa.gov/rural-health/about-us/what-is-rural https://geocarenavigator.hrsa.gov/

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IV. DETERMINATION OF OTHER ELIGIBLE PARTIES

The intent of this posting is to confirm that the entities listed in Attachment A are the entire class of eligible facilities, pursuant to the criteria described in this NOI, in accordance with the NOFO and statutory language. If another entity believes that it meets such criteria and should be included as a qualifying entity for purposes of the grant application, such entity must respond to this NOI pursuant to the instructions below. EOHHS will review any responses received by the posting deadline and will thereafter determine whether to update its list of eligible entities.

V. RESPONSE REQUIREMENT AND DEADLINE

Any entity that believes it meets the criteria to be an eligible entity must submit a response to this posting containing sufficient evidence to demonstrate that the entity meets the description in the Directed Expenditure. All required information must be submitted via COMMBUYS by 5:00 PM, on October 9, 2025, with copy sent via email to:

Emails: ruralhealth@mass.gov and EOHHS-Procurement@mass.gov (include both)

Subject Line: “RHTP NOI Response”

VI. COMMBUYS INFORMATION

Any entity responding to this NOI must submit their response (“Quote”) online using tools available only to Sellers registered in COMMBUYS. COMMBUYS provides Seller registration functionality at no charge. To register, go to www.COMMBUYS.com and click on the “Register” link on the front page.

VII. COMMBUYS MARKET CENTER

COMMBUYS is the official source of information for this NOI and is publicly accessible at no charge at www.commbuys.com. Interested parties are solely responsible for obtaining all information distributed for this NOI via COMMBUYS. It is each interested party’s responsibility to check COMMBUYS for any amendments, addenda, modifications to this NOI and any related document. The Commonwealth accepts no responsibility and will provide no accommodation to interested parties who submit a Response based on out-of-date information received from any source other than COMMBUYS. Interested parties may elect to obtain a free COMMBUYS Seller subscription which provides value-added features, including automated email notification associated with postings and modifications to COMMBUYS records. To learn more about the COMMBUYS system, please visit the COMMBUYS Resource Center.

mailto:ruralhealth@mass.gov mailto:EOHHS-Procurement@mass.gov http://www.commbuys.com/ https://www.mass.gov/learn-about-commbuys-resources

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VIII. COMMBUYS QUOTE SUBMISSION TRAINING AND

INSTRUCTIONS

The following resources are provided to assist parties in submitting Quotes:

An online job aid on How to Create a Quote in COMMBUYS;

Webcast video on how to Locate and Respond to Bid Solicitations in COMMBUYS;

Instructor-led trainings (ILT) and live webinar sessions: check the OSD Training Courses schedule for Vendors/Business Entities for available locations, dates and times. Note that space is limited and pre-registration for training is required to attend. Follow instructions on the course schedule to register.

IX. COMMBUYS SUPPORT

Technical assistance is available. Every effort is made to respond to inquiries within one business day.

Website: Go to www.mass.gov/osd/commbuys and select the COMMBUYS Resource Center link offered under Key Resources.

Email: Send inquiries to the OSD Help Desk at OSDHelpDesk@mass.gov

Telephone: Call the OSD Help Desk at 1-888-MA-STATE (1-888-627-8283). The Help Desk is staffed from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday Eastern Standard or Daylight time, as applicable, except on federal and state holidays.

Note that COMMBUYS will be unavailable during regularly scheduled maintenance hours of which all users will be notified.

X. COSTS

By submitting a Response, Respondents agree that any cost incurred in responding to this NOI, or in support of activities associated with this NOI, shall be the sole responsibility of the Respondent. EOHHS shall not be held responsible for any costs incurred by Respondents in preparing their respective Responses to this NOI.

XI. RESPONDENT COMMUNICATIONS

A. NOI Contact

Respondents are prohibited from communicating directly with any employee of EOHHS regarding this NOI, except as specified in Sections V and IX of this NOI, and no other individual Commonwealth employee or representative is authorized to provide any https://www.mass.gov/doc/how-to-create-a-quote-in-commbuys/download https://www.screencast.com/t/GMJLKkilF12 https://www.mass.gov/how-to/register-for-vendor-training http://www.mass.gov/osd/commbuys mailto:OSDHelpDesk@mass.gov

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NOI Contact:

Shukri Osman, Procurement Coordinator E-mail: EOHHS-Procurement@mass.gov

B. Reasonable Accommodation

Respondents with disabilities or hardships that seek reasonable accommodation, which may include the receipt of NOI information in an alternative format, must communicate such requests in writing to the NOI Contact. Requests for accommodation will be addressed on a case-by-case basis. A Respondent requesting accommodation must submit a written statement which describes the Respondent’s disability and the requested accommodation to the contact person for the NOI. EOHHS reserves the right to reject unreasonable requests.

C. NOI Copies

Respondents should download all NOI documents from COMMBUYS. No paper copies of the NOI or any of its components will be supplied unless the request satisfies the conditions specified in the Reasonable Accommodation section. If a Respondent is having trouble obtaining any required attachments electronically through COMMBUYS, the Respondent should contact the OSD Help Desk at OSDHelpDesk@mass.gov or call the Help Desk during normal business hours (8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. ET Monday-Friday) at 1-888-627-8283 or 617-720-3197.

mailto:osdhelpdesk@mass.gov

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ATTACHMENT A

RURAL FACILITIES IDENTIFIED AS ELIGIBLE FOR RHTP PARTNERSHIP

I. RURAL-LOCATED FACILITIES

Hospitals

Athol Hospital 2033 Main Street Athol 01331

Martha's Vineyard Hospital 1 Hospital Rd Oaks Bluffs 02557

Fairview Hospital 29 Lewis Rd Great Barrington 01230

North Adams Regional Hospital 71 Hospital Ave. North Adams 01247

Nantucket Cottage Hospital 57 Prospect Street Nantucket 02554

Baystate Wing 40 Wright Street Palmer 01069

Rural Health Clinics

Tully Family Medicine 81 Reservoir Drive Athol 01331

Athol Primary Care 2033 Main Street Athol 01331

MV Rural Health Clinic 1 Hospital Rd Oaks Bluffs 02557

East Mountain Medical 29 Lewis Rd Great Barrington 01230

Nantucket Primary Care 57 Prospect Street Nantucket 02554

Williamstown Medical at North Adams 71 Hospital Ave. North Adams 01247

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Williamstown Medical 197 Adams Rd. Williamstown 01267

Federally Qualified Health Centers

Community Health Programs – Barrington OB/GYN 27 Lewis Ave Ground Floor Great Barrington 01230

Community Health Programs- Health Center 444 Stockbridge Road, Suite 1 Great Barrington 01230

Community Health Programs – North Adams Family Medical & Dental 71 Hospital Drive 3rd Flr North Wing North Adams 01247

Community Health Programs – Lee Family Practice 11 Quarry Road Lee 01238

Franklin County Community Health Center – Greenfield Medical & Dental 102 Main Street Greenfield 01301

Franklin County Community Health Center – Orange Medical & Dental 119 New Athol Road Orange 01364

Franklin County Community Health Center – Turners Medical & Dental 8 Burnham Street Turners Falls 01376

Outer Cape Health Services – Provincetown Health Center 49 Harry Kemp Way Provincetown 02657

Outer Cape Health Services – Wellfleet Health Center 3130 Route 6 Wellfleet 02667

Island Health Care 245 Vineyard Haven Road Edgartown 02539

Community Behavioral Health Clinics

Community Support Options - CBHC - Greenfield 1 Arch Place Greenfield 01301

Community Support Options - CBHC - Athol 2033 Main Street Lvl. 2 Athol 01331

Martha’s Vineyard Community Services 111 Edgartown Road Oaks Bluffs 02557

Fairwinds Center 20 Vesper Lane Nantucket 02554

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Opioid Treatment Programs

Behavioral Health Network - Greenfield OTP 21 Kenwood Street Greenfield 01301

Behavioral Health Network - Orange OTP 119 New Athol Road Orange 01364

Healthcare Resource Centers 50 Miles Street Greenfield 01301

Spectrum Health Systems 290 Park Street Great Barrington 01230

Spectrum Health Systems 1274 Curran Highway North Adams 01247

II. RURAL-SERVING FACILITIES

Federally Qualified Health Centers

Community Health Programs – Adams Family Medicine 19 Depot Street Adams 01220

Hilltown Community Health Center – Huntington Health Center 73 Russel Road Route 20 Huntington 01050

Hilltown Community Health Center Gateway - Worthington Health Center 58 Old North Road Worthington 01098

Hilltown Community Health Center Gateway – School Based Health Center 12 Littleville Rd. STE 134 Huntington 01050

Hilltown Community Health Center – John P. Musante Health Center 70 Boltwood Walk Lower Level Amherst 01002

Community Health Connections – South Gardner Community Health & Urgent Care 529 Timpany Boulevard Gardner 01440

Community Health Connections – Gardner Community Health Center 175 Connors Street Gardner 01440

Community Health Connections – Fitchburg Community Health Center 326 Nichols Road Fitchburg 01420