KDHE Announces First RHTP Grant Opportunities for Kansas Providers, Organizations

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) posted Request for Applications (RFA) for its first two grant opportunities under the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) in Kansas. The application period for the Regional Partnership (RPGP) and the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) Conversion/Transformative Capital Investment (CAP) grant programs opened Monday to eligible Kansas providers and organizations pursuing collaborative arrangements with one or more eligible Kansas providers.

Eligible providers include Kansas hospitals, physician practices, solo practitioners, rural health clinics, federally qualified health centers, local health departments, Native American Sovereign Tribal health care facilities, certified community behavioral health clinics, licensed substance-use disorder facilities, and licensed long-term care facilities located in rural areas.

“We are excited to kick off the RHTP with these grant opportunities to begin the process of fundamentally transforming the rural health care landscape in Kansas,” KDHE Secretary Janet Stanek said. “The level of funding we are receiving over the next five years through RHTP is historic for our state and provides the means necessary to expand access to health care throughout our rural communities, reaching the most vulnerable Kansans.”

The $44 million RPGP grant enables eligible providers to participate in collaborative arrangements that promote preventive health care and address the root causes of disease, enhance rural providers’ efficiency and sustainability, attract and retain a highly-skilled health care workforce, spark growth of value-based care models, and foster the use of innovative technologies. Applications for the RPGP grant are due April 3, 2026.

The REH/CAP grant will provide facilities that have been converted or are in the process of converting to REH status with $15 million in available funds to make necessary facility renovations and provide other eligible providers with funds to make capital investments to transform how they serve their communities. Applications for the REH/CAP grant are due March 20, 2026.

Detailed submission and restriction information, along with the official RFAs for the grants, have been posted on the Kansas RHTP website. KDHE will host a webinar for interested parties on March 6, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. Registration is required for this webinar, and can be accessed HERE.

Kansas received final notice of approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for Kansas’ annual $221.89 million budget to implement its RHTP on Feb. 17, 2026. This approval allows KDHE to access the federal funds to launch the Plan’s five initiatives.

The RHTP is a national $50 billion commitment to improve the health and well-being of rural communities across the country. KDHE‘s implementation of its RHTP initiatives will pursue an approach that is both expeditious and effective, directing targeted resources to high-need areas throughout the state, with a focus on sustaining critical, high-quality health care access and services for rural Kansas.

To support successful implementation, KDHE has partnered with the University of Kansas Health System Care Collaborative Association (CCA) to provide grant assistance and to administer several programs. CCA was instrumental in assisting Kansas with the development of its successful application for the RHTP funding, securing the sixth largest award.

KDHE also looks forward to working with the Kansas Grantmakers in Health and other Kansas-based organizations to transform health care delivery for rural communities across the state. KDHE will continue to engage with the Kansas Rural Health Innovation Alliance (KRHIA) to ensure funds are invested to expand access to care and improve health outcomes for rural Kansans.

The five Kansas RHTP initiatives were designed to improve the health and sustainability of rural communities statewide. The initiatives include:

• Improving rural Kansas’ health outcomes and transforming the delivery system by implementing and sustaining initiatives that promote preventative health care and address root causes of diseases,
• Enhancing rural health care providers’ efficiency and sustainability,
• Attracting and retaining a highly-skilled health care workforce,
• Sparking growth of innovative care models in rural communities that improve quality of care while reducing costs, and,
• Fostering the use of innovative technologies to increase access to care for rural Kansans.

KRHIA will host its next virtual meeting on Friday, Feb. 27, at 9:30 a.m. The meeting will be livestreamed on the KDHE YouTube Page: https://youtube.com/live/5IRvieeWCpU?feature=share.

To learn more about KDHE’s commitment to protecting and improving the health and environment of all Kansans through the RHTP visit: Rural Health Transformation Program | KDHE, KS.

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This press release is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $221,890,000 with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CMS/HHS, or the U.S. Government.