North Dakota Awarded Nearly $200 Million for Rural Health Transformation Plan

BISMARCK, N.D. - When Congress passed the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, it established the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) to strengthen rural health care by providing states funding to support innovation, expand access, and enhance quality of care.

The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) announced the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services will receive $199 million in initial funding for its RHTP. North Dakota's approved application includes a five-year plan to strengthen and stabilize its rural workforce, bring high quality health care closer to home, and confront immediate threats to rural health while building lasting sustainability.

"Rural hospitals are essential to the health and economic stability of their communities," said U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND). "The creation of this fund reflects a clear commitment by the Trump administration to prioritize rural healthcare and protect access to care where it is needed most. I look forward to this money getting to North Dakota and providing the support it was designed to deliver."

"North Dakota is taking bold steps to restore health, opportunity, and dignity to our prairies," the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services said in its application. "North Dakota's RHTP delivers practical investments that honor local and tribal values, protect rural independence, and get America back to what matters: healthy people, prosperous communities, and common-sense service delivery."

The unprecedented funding provides key opportunities for North Dakota's rural health care systems:

Strengthens and Stabilizes Rural Health Workforce:

The funding allows rural hospitals in North Dakota to expand rural healthcare training programs, improve retention in rural and Tribal communities, and use technology as an extender for rural providers.

Makes North Dakota Healthy Again:

North Dakota's RHTP initiatives support the launch of Eat Well ND to enhance nutrition education for North Dakotans, initiates ND Moves Together to provide education on the benefits of physical activity across the state and promotes connection and resilience to improve mental health with a focus on children.

Brings High-Quality Health Care Closer to Home:

The state's five-year plan right-sizes rural healthcare delivery systems, enhances the telehealth and mobile clinic infrastructure; and expands community health worker and paramedic infrastructure, training, and certification. It ensures rural residents have access to transportation and develops care coordination programs with payers in the state for patients with chronic disease or behavioral health conditions.

Connects Tech, Data, and Providers for a Stronger North Dakota:

North Dakota's application outlines key initiatives to gain efficiency with modern tech and data, including cooperative purchasing agreements for technology, regulatory and financial infrastructure, use of staff, and bulk purchasing of supplies and equipment.

It also summarizes plans to harness artificial intelligence to detect early signs of chronic disease and behavioral health conditions, expand the capacity of rural providers, and utilize new technology for rapid transport, automated prescription pickup kiosks, and laboratory capability to process self-collected specimens.