RHTP Funds Will Help Expand Rural Maternal Health Care

The Missouri Department of Social Services, through the Rural Health Transformation Program, awarded more than $732,000 to the Missouri Doula Association to strengthen rural doula training and certification infrastructure statewide.

The funding — administered on behalf of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services — supports a new partnership between MDA and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services' Office on Women's Health, aimed at expanding the rural maternal health workforce.

For hospital and health system leaders, this initiative addresses rural maternal health workforce shortages. MDA will build recruitment pipelines, formal credentialing systems, and integration pathways for community-based doulas and perinatal community health workers, who provide support throughout pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum recovery.

As these professionals become integrated into rural health care teams, hospitals may see expanded care team capacity, new opportunities to partner with a growing credentialed workforce and stronger community ties around maternal health service lines.

About the Rural Health Transformation Program

The Rural Health Transformation Program, created under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), is a landmark federal initiative to strengthen rural Americans' health care access and outcomes through sustainability and innovation. Beginning in 2026, the program provides $50 billion over five years, divided equally between state-distributed funds and competitive grants to states awarded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Missouri's state-led initiative, known as Transformation of Rural Community Health (ToRCH) Care and coordinated by the MO HealthNet Division within the Missouri Department of Social Services, received a $216 million award from CMS for the first year of the program. ToRCH Care is expected to build local partnerships, expand care coordination and build capacity through a “community hub” model. Rural hospitals, clinics and provider networks are expected to be the primary recipients of these funds. These investments are especially critical as hospitals face future reductions in Medicaid state-directed payments and provider tax matching rates, which disproportionately impact rural hospitals. Members can stay up to date on ToRCH Care and other Rural Health Transformation Program news, funding opportunities and resources on MHA’s Rural Health Transformation Program webpage.