---
title: "Rural Health Transformation Program: Virginia $122M, Georgia $93.3M and other state awards"
id: "news-news-fierce-healthcare-02018f86807f9eceb68d709f"
canonical_url: "https://medichelpline.com/news/news-news-fierce-healthcare-02018f86807f9eceb68d709f"
content_type: "medical_news_article"
category: "Industry"
source_name: "Fierce Healthcare"
source_url: "https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/regulatory/rural-health-transformation-program-funding-tracker-cms-awards-virginia-122m-georgia"
published_at: "2026-08-28T20:19:15.507Z"
license: "CC-BY-NC-4.0 / Informational Use"
---
# Rural Health Transformation Program: Virginia $122M, Georgia $93.3M and other state awards
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- **Category:** [Industry](https://medichelpline.com/news/industry.md)
- **Reporting Source:** Fierce Healthcare
- **Original Source URL:** [Read Original Article](https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/regulatory/rural-health-transformation-program-funding-tracker-cms-awards-virginia-122m-georgia)
- **Published At:** 2026-08-28T20:19:15.507Z
## Executive Summary & Key Highlights
- The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is distributing first-year awards from the five-year, **$50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP)**; states submitted plans in November and CMS began announcing awards in December. - On Aug. 28, CMS announced **$122 million** to Virginia to expand access, workforce and technology, with Virginia set to receive **$189,544,888** total for fiscal year 2026. - Georgia was awarded **$93.3 million** on Aug. 27 for new care models and technology-enabled services; the state has committed the full **$218,862,170** for year one. - Ohio received **$3.15 million** (announced Aug. 26) for pharmacy connectivity projects and will receive **$202,030,262** in total for fiscal year 2026; CMS also signaled a separate $61.7 million opportunity for rural CINs and Innovation Hubs. - Alaska will get **$160 million** across 142 projects (announced Aug. 25) emphasizing tech and coordinated statewide care; CMS previously said the state would receive **$272,174,856** for fiscal 2026. - Alabama announced more than **$144 million** in 138 grants (Aug. 24) across 11 initiatives, part of **$203,404,327** in CMS-supported funding for the state. - North Dakota received an additional **$1 million** (Aug. 20) atop nearly $60 million previously announced; total for fiscal 2026 is **$198,936,970**, with disclosed projects including $40 million for hospital upgrades and $10 million for workforce stabilization. - Pennsylvania will be awarded **$35 million** (Aug. 19) for modernization and screening technology and will receive **$193,294,054** in fiscal 2026; CMS had already invested $42 million in 62 projects in the state. - South Dakota will be awarded **$90 million** (Aug. 19) focused on digital health, with a fiscal 2026 total of **$189,477,607** for statewide projects. - Detailed project allocations and timelines vary by state; Fierce Healthcare is tracking ongoing announcements and requested updates via the reporter’s contact provided in the source.
## In-Depth Reporting & Editorial Analysis
## CMS continues disbursing RHTP awards to states, with Virginia and Georgia among recent recipients The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is rolling out first-year awards from the five-year, **$50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP)**. States submitted applications in November outlining how they would use their shares of the program, and CMS began announcing awards in December. Recent state announcements in late August revealed new funding allocations and project priorities across several states. Virginia received a major award on Aug. 28. CMS said the state will be granted **$122 million** to expand access to care, strengthen the healthcare workforce and drive technology and coordination efforts. The funds will support initiatives including remote patient monitoring; rural residency and provider training slots; community paramedicine; maternal care; and mobile or hybrid care models targeting underserved regions. The funding will also back efforts to scale early-stage health technology companies developing digital solutions. According to CMS, Virginia’s total RHTP allocation for fiscal year 2026 is **$189,544,888**. Georgia’s award was announced a day earlier, on Aug. 27. The state will receive **$93.3 million** to advance new care models and improve outcomes for rural patients. CMS said projects funded will include pre-implementation grants to 87 rural hospitals preparing to participate in the agency’s AHEAD Model; expanded training and education for nurses, emergency medical technicians and paramedics; and efforts to strengthen telehealth access points, maternal and behavioral health, newborn screening, transportation and other services. Technology-enabled care and infrastructure investments named in the announcement include support for rural hospital cybersecurity, telehealth capacity and surgical robotics. With those investments, Georgia has committed the full **$218,862,170** awarded for its first year of RHTP funding, according to CMS release notes. ## Other states with recent RHTP announcements and priorities CMS and state leaders have disclosed varying levels of detail about how award dollars will be distributed. Several other states made public RHTP award details in August: - Ohio (Aug. 26): CMS announced **$3.15 million** in RHTP funding to expand pharmacy connectivity in rural communities. The award includes $2 million for improving pharmacists’ access to patient medical records and medication management, and $1.15 million to improve integrated access to the Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System for rural providers. The agency said Ohio will receive **$202,030,262** in total for fiscal year 2026. CMS also highlighted a separate $61.7 million funding opportunity aimed at developing and expanding rural clinically integrated networks (CINs) and Rural Health Innovation Hubs across 73 non-urban counties. - Alaska (Aug. 25): CMS said it will award **$160 million** to 142 projects focused on expanding technology and coordinated statewide care. Specific disbursements named in the announcement include $6.5 million for robotics-assisted minimally invasive surgery in southern and southeastern Alaska; $5 million for a tribally led residential treatment and recovery campus for behavioral health in southeast Alaska; $4.75 million to strengthen statewide health data infrastructure; $4.6 million to stabilize and enhance the Alaska Family Medicine Residency Program; and more than $3.1 million to establish a statewide AI imaging network across 21 acute care hospitals. CMS previously announced that Alaska’s total RHTP grant for fiscal 2026 would be **$272,174,856**. - Alabama (Aug. 24): Gov. Kay Ivey announced that 138 grants totaling more than **$144 million** will be awarded to providers and organizations across the state. The Alabama RHTP includes 11 initiatives; the initial grants fund five areas: rural health, rural workforce, mental health, rural health practice and collaborative electronic health record (EHR), IT and cybersecurity. The release noted collaborative EHR, IT and cybersecurity grants cover 29 projects, rural health grants cover 57 projects, rural workforce initiative grants cover 25 projects, rural health practice grants cover 14 projects and mental health grants cover 13 projects. CMS-supported funding for Alabama totals **$203,404,327**, and grants for remaining initiatives will be announced later, per the state release. - North Dakota (Aug. 20): CMS announced an additional **$1 million** in RHTP funding, augmenting nearly $60 million previously announced. Disclosed projects include $40 million to help rural hospitals replace equipment, expand specialty and emergency services and speed diagnoses; $10 million to stabilize and retain workforce across 37 critical access hospitals and affiliated clinics; and $1.5 million to deploy a mobile mammography unit across western North Dakota. North Dakota’s total RHTP allocation for fiscal 2026 is **$198,936,970**. - Pennsylvania (Aug. 19): CMS said Pennsylvania will be awarded **$35 million** to modernize rural care, including investments in advanced screening technology. The funding is intended to strengthen service integration, leverage technology, support renovations and equipment purchases, and expand access to transportation, behavioral health and maternal services. CMS noted it had already invested $42 million in 62 projects across the state; Pennsylvania’s total fiscal 2026 allocation will be **$193,294,054**. - South Dakota (Aug. 19): The agency announced **$90 million** for projects with an emphasis on accelerating digital health. Named priorities include infrastructure improvements, diagnostic and surgical capacity, emergency and specialty care access, modernization of electronic health records and cybersecurity, virtual care capabilities, expansion of mobile tribal health services and maternal health resources, and workforce strengthening. South Dakota’s total RHTP funding for fiscal 2026 is **$189,477,607**. ## What these awards mean and how details vary by state CMS has released award amounts and described project priorities for many states, but the level of granularity differs. Some announcements list specific dollar amounts for individual projects and programs; others describe categories of investment without itemizing each allocation. The RHTP is intended to help rural health systems build capacity, modernize infrastructure, expand workforce training and pilot new models of care, often with an emphasis on technology-enabled services such as **telehealth**, remote patient monitoring and digital health solutions. States are applying the funds to a wide range of initiatives including workforce development, hospital and clinic infrastructure, behavioral and maternal health services, telehealth and cybersecurity, mobile services and partnerships with tribal health systems. Several states noted commitments to support early-stage health technology companies or to prepare hospitals for participation in CMS models like the AHEAD Model. ## Ongoing tracking and next steps Fierce Healthcare is maintaining a tracker of CMS and state announcements as additional RHTP awards and project details are released. The source article notes that detailed information on distribution varies by state and that some states will announce further awards and remaining initiative-funded projects later. The reporter invited readers to submit updates to the provided contact in the source. Specific timelines, implementation plans and full lists of funded projects were described in varying detail in the state releases; where the source did not provide granular timelines or complete lists, those details were not reported. As CMS continues to roll out RHTP disbursements, states will likely publish follow-up information about how funds are being put to use, and additional grant announcements are expected as implementation plans advance. Fierce Healthcare will continue to monitor and report new announcements as they become available.
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