Shapiro Administration Secures $193 Million in Federal Funding to Improve Access to Health Care in Pennsylvania’s Rural Communities | Department of Human Services |[...]

Harrisburg, PA - Today, Governor Josh Shapiro announced that Pennsylvania has been awarded $193 million in federal funding for the first year of its approved five-year Rural Health Transformation Plan (RHTP), to foster innovation and improve access to essential health services in rural communities that will be most impacted by federal spending cuts to Pennsylvania's Medicaid program.

This funding is renewable over five years, and states will have the opportunity to secure additional redistributed funding based on program performance and spending.

"Pennsylvania is home to some of our nation's finest hospitals and health care providers - but despite that legacy of excellence in health care, residents in our rural communities often have access to fewer doctors, have to travel farther to access care, and have more limited health care options," said Governor Shapiro. "I believe that all Pennsylvanians deserve access to quality health care no matter where they live and my Administration has spent nearly two years developing a robust and meaningful Rural Health Transformation Plan. With nearly $200 million from the federal government, we are moving forward with our plan to improve rural health care, attract and retain a skilled workforce, promote long-term, sustainable access, support the growth of innovative care, and foster technological innovation."

"Pennsylvania's Rural Health Transformation Plan is the product of more than two years of collaboration, conversation, and planning to design strategies and opportunities to improve health and strengthen access to care in rural Pennsylvania driven by the leaders who come from and are invested in these communities, their residents, and their future," said Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh. "This funding will be a catalyst for locally driven initiatives and solutions, focusing on sustainable innovations that will strengthen rural Pennsylvania and make high-quality health care accessible throughout our Commonwealth."

RHTP funding comes from the Rural Health Transformation Fund, which was established by the federal reconciliation bill, and creates a five-year $50 billion nationwide grant designed to support rural health. Funding was allocated by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) based on rules established by Congress dictating that $100 million per year will be distributed to each approved applicant state with opportunities to receive up to an additional $100 million per year based on state characteristics including rural population, land area, amount of uncompensated care, and the grant submission itself, to be awarded at discretion of the HHS leadership. Unspent funds from states and territories will be reallocated back into the program, so there will be opportunities to pursue additional funding based on program and initiative performance.

With the approved funding, the Shapiro Administration will work with established regional economic development entities to convene Regional Care Collaboratives, which will guide RHTP projects and funding for their regions. As these entities come together, the Shapiro Administration will use initial funding to establish Rapid Response Access Stabilization grants to support work already happening in local communities.

The Commonwealth's RHTP was informed by extensive feedback and experiences of stakeholders across rural Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania's Departments of Human Services and Health, along with Aging, Insurance, and Drug and Alcohol Programs worked collaboratively with rural stakeholders, community and educational leaders, County Commissioners, and the Pennsylvania General Assembly for more than two years, hosting listening sessions, regional rural health summits, and, most recently, open feedback opportunities specific to this funding opportunity.

Based on the feedback received, the Shapiro Administration drafted a comprehensive RHTP in line with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' primary goals. The Commonwealth's RHTP initiatives focus on:

• Technology and Infrastructure, including the use of consumer-facing applications that support easy access to primary and specialty care
• Workforce, including supporting incentives like upfront scholarships, mentoring, short-term housing, and stipends based on a five-year commitment to service in rural communities
• Maternal Health Services to provide comprehensive care management and navigation between prenatal and postpartum care, behavioral health, and other services to support safe and healthy pregnancies and parenting
• Behavioral Health Services like expanding 988 services and continuing public education on crisis response services
• Aging and Access to facilitate safe transitions from hospitalization to care at home and support quality of care in rural long-term care facilities
• EMS and Transportation to modernize rural EMS infrastructure to improve efficiency and sustainability

For more information on the RHTP and rural health initiatives in Pennsylvania, visit dhs.pa.gov/ruralhealth.