A Strategic Guide to the Rural Health Transformation Fund

Established by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the Rural Health Transformation Fund allocates $50 billion over five years to support rural healthcare providers. While this funding is part of a complex financial landscape for many states, it represents a dedicated resource for technology adoption and service model transformation.

For state and hospital leaders, the immediate task is to develop a clear strategy for directing these available dollars toward initiatives that can create lasting stability and improved health outcomes.

Read on to learn more about:

The core details of the new $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Fund, including its purpose and key deadlines

A three-pillar framework for developing an effective strategy focused on infrastructure, workforce empowerment, and data

How integrated technology can help states meet the fund’s requirements and drive sustainable community health outcomes


Understanding the fund’s mechanics

Administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the program provides financing to states to support their rural providers. The primary goal is to help facilities remain viable and adapt their services to meet community needs.

The legislation requires that state applications prioritize the use of data-driven technologies for prevention, chronic disease management, and care delivery improvement.

With the application window now open, preparation is essential.

Fund Details at a Glance

  • Funder: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
  • Total Allocation: $50 billion ($10B per year)
  • Key Deadlines:
    • Sept. 15, 2025: Applications opened
    • Nov. 5, 2025: Applications close
    • Dec. 31, 2025: CMS identifies funding recipients


A framework for an effective strategy

The Rural Health Transformation Fund requires rapid implementation, making a tactical approach essential. The framework that follows outlines three pillars for a state plan that prioritizes immediate action and long-term, data-driven results.

1

Deploy reliable infrastructure for immediate impact
  • States must turn to proven, scalable solutions to meet the fund’s tight implementation timelines. This approach leverages the Findhelp platform’s existing, nationwide network, which covers every community and ensures no rural area is left behind.
  • We provide the immediate ability to send and receive closed-loop referrals and generate actionable data, satisfying core requirements of the fund from day one.

2

Empower your workforce
  • With the network infrastructure in place, the next step is to equip the rural healthcare workforce—including newly funded care coordinators and community health workers—to be effective instantly.
  • Findhelp integrates directly into existing systems like electronic health records (EHRs) or care management tools, allowing staff to work within their existing workflows. This allows them to immediately increase their efficiency and begin connecting residents to care without a long ramp-up period.

3

Use data to actively expand your partner network
  • A traditional, time-consuming needs assessment isn’t feasible when projects are required to move this quickly. A more agile approach is to generate data through action.
  • As your network uses Findhelp, it reveals precisely where residents are searching for help but finding no available services—identifying true “service deserts.” This is more than a report: It’s a roadmap for innovation.
  • This data can be used to build a compelling business case to recruit new partners—such as telehealth providers, transportation services, or mobile food pantries—to expand into these underserved areas. You can then strategically invite these new organizations to join your digital network, ensuring they are responsive and capable of receiving closed-loop referrals from day one. This transforms data from a passive analytical tool into an active engine for building a more robust and modern social care ecosystem.


Findhelp: The foundation for your strategy

Our commitment to connecting people to the help they need has been our driving force long before this fund was created. For us, this is not about chasing a new funding opportunity. It’s about providing sustainable, cost-effective infrastructure for the crucial work our partners do every day.

That’s why the Findhelp platform serves as the ideal foundation for this work, underpinning all three pillars of an effective strategy. It provides real-time community data, workforce empowerment tools, and an integrated infrastructure that supports true closed-loop referrals to track outcomes. Our open network architecture ensures comprehensive social care coverage in all communities and the flexibility to work with diverse partners, including health plans and hospital systems. This is all delivered through a cost-effective partnership model with transparent, flat pricing, ensuring there are no surprises as you work to maximize the impact of every dollar.


Let our experience work for you

Our approach is informed by deep, practical experience. Our partnerships in states like Tennessee, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, West Virginia, and Oklahoma have given us the on-the-ground expertise to build the infrastructure that makes integrated care possible for large rural populations.

Preparing a successful application for the Rural Health Transformation Fund requires a clear, strategic plan. Let’s build it together.

If you’re exploring how to integrate social care technology to improve health outcomes and financial stability, our team is here to help. To learn how the Findhelp platform can be a cornerstone of your plan, connect with our team today.

Chat with us