MHA Applauds Missouri’s $216 Million Rural Health Transformation Program Award
Funding will strengthen access, workforce and care quality for rural Missourians
Missouri’s hospitals and the patients they serve will benefit from a $216 million initial award through the federal Rural Health Transformation Program, a five‑year initiative administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to strengthen rural health in all 50 states. The award helps position Missouri to sustain access to care closer to home, grow its rural workforce and modernize the technology and partnerships that make care more dependable for families and communities. The Missouri Hospital Association, Missouri Primary Care Association and the Missouri Behavioral Health Council are key stakeholders in the state’s application process.
“We congratulate Gov. Kehoe’s administration on a visionary and successful application that earned Missouri one of the nation’s top‑10 awards,” Jon Doolittle, MHA President and CEO, said. “We’re grateful the state included MHA and our member hospitals as key stakeholders throughout the process. This investment will help rural Missourians receive high‑quality care in strong, connected local systems — the kind of care that improves lives and sustains communities.”
What this means for rural Missourians
This cooperative agreement gives the robust network of providers in Missouri's health care system additional tools to extend care where people live — primary, maternal and behavioral health services; workforce pipelines; and the digital backbone that ties it all together.
How Missouri will put the funding to work
Missouri’s plan — built around Transformation of Rural Community Health (ToRCH Care) — advances five practical priorities hospitals will recognize:
- Regional networks and community hubs. Seven coordinating networks and dozens of multi-county hubs will align local partners — hospitals, behavioral health providers, clinics, EMS, public health and social‑service organizations, physicians and other providers, among more — to close gaps and keep people healthier.
- Payment models that reward collaboration. Alternative payment approaches will support care coordination and prevention, not just volume, strengthening hospital sustainability.
- Digital backbone. Interoperable tech and data tools — including referral platforms — will simplify handoffs, track outcomes and reduce friction for patients and providers.
- Workforce pathways. Targeted rural workforce programs will recruit, train and retain clinicians and caregivers to meet local needs.
- Provider transformation support. Hospitals can receive financial and technical assistance to stabilize and modernize operations and care delivery — with measurable improvements in access, quality and cost.
What’s next
Missouri’s Department of Social Services will finalize cooperative agreement terms with CMS, then sequence funding for hub activation, workforce initiatives and tech procurement. The state will continue formal engagement with hospitals and partners with MHA actively facilitating hospital input so implementation reflects real‑world needs.
MHA will continue to issue updates and guidance to members on participating in hubs, data and referral workflows, workforce opportunities and hospital transformation resources.
Background
CMS announced awards on Dec. 29, 2025, to every state under the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program, with first‑year awards averaging $200 million.