Turn Rural Health Transformation funding into measurable community impact
Umoja helps translate rural health strategy into programs that can be launched, managed, measured, and improved.
The challenge
Rural transformation is not just funding. It is execution.
Rural Health Transformation funding has created a significant opportunity for states, health systems, FQHCs, food banks, and community-based organizations to strengthen access, prevention, and whole-person care.
But for many organizations pursuing funding or being considered as subaward partners, the challenge will not simply be writing a strong proposal. The challenge will be operationalizing the work.
That means engaging hard-to-reach rural populations, connecting individuals to food and community resources, supporting nutrition-based interventions, coordinating referrals, documenting outcomes, and showing measurable impact.
That is where Umoja Health can help. Umoja provides the infrastructure to extend care beyond the clinic, through Food as Medicine programs, member engagement, benefit navigation, community resource coordination, nutrition support, referrals, and outcomes reporting.
How funding moves
How RHT funds are deployed
The Rural Health Transformation Program is a five-year, $50 billion CMS investment to strengthen rural healthcare access, workforce capacity, care delivery, prevention, technology, and long-term sustainability. RHT funds generally move from CMS to states, then from states to local entities through grants, RFPs, pilots, collaboratives, or subawards.
1
State strategy and CMS award
CMS announced awards to all 50 states in December 2025 and reassesses each state's progress every year. Only states can receive an RHT award.
2
States control how funds are deployed
Opportunities will vary by state, timing, procurement approach, and local priorities.
3
Local implementation
Hospitals, clinics, nonprofits, and other local organizations take part through subawards, contracts, or partnerships when their state includes them.
Source: CMS Rural Health Transformation Program and program FAQs, as of October 2026.
Who we support
Many organizations are well-positioned to serve rural communities
Subaward entities are the organizations closest to rural residents and accountable for turning funding into measurable impact. Many will have strong community trust or clinical reach but may need infrastructure to scale programs, coordinate referrals, and document outcomes.
Rural hospitals, health systems, FQHCs
Accountable for access, chronic condition outcomes, utilization, and care gaps. Umoja can extend care beyond the clinic with nutrition support, navigation, engagement, and reporting.
Food banks, CBOs, public health agencies
Trusted locally but may need healthcare-aligned workflows and measurable reporting. Umoja can add referral coordination, member support, documentation, and outcomes reporting.
Medicaid plans, ACOs, regional collaboratives
May need scalable partners to address access, social needs, prevention, and avoidable utilization. Umoja can serve as a flexible Food as Medicine and whole-person care implementation partner.
How Umoja can help
Umoja can help operationalize the community-facing parts of Rural Health Transformation
CMS reports that many states are implementing nutrition programs, Food as Medicine initiatives, and chronic disease prevention models. Umoja Health can support Rural Health Transformation subaward partners in several practical ways:
Reach and engage rural members
Outreach, activation, and ongoing engagement support
Deliver Food as Medicine programs
Nutrition education and care-aligned food interventions
Support whole-person care
Benefit navigation, community resource connection, and care support
Coordinate referrals
Referral management and partner coordination
Strengthen reporting
Engagement, service utilization, and outcomes reporting
Build community-health partnerships
Support for CBOs, food banks, and nonprofit partners working with health plans or providers
Questions
Common questions about RHT and Umoja Health
What is the Rural Health Transformation Program?
It is a $50 billion federal program, authorized by Public Law 119-21, Section 71401. CMS makes $10 billion a year available to the states for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 to improve rural healthcare access, quality, and outcomes.
Can my organization apply to CMS for RHT funding?
No. Only the 50 states can receive an RHT award. Hospitals, clinics, nonprofits, and other local organizations can take part through subawards, contracts, or partnerships when their state includes them. CMS points organizations to their governor's office for how to get involved.
How does Umoja Health work with subaward partners?
Umoja Health can support subaward partners by helping operationalize key components of rural transformation strategies, including Food as Medicine program delivery, nutrition education, member engagement and activation, benefit and resource navigation, community referral coordination, food bank and CBO network support, and outcomes tracking and reporting.
When should we talk to Umoja Health?
If your organization is pursuing or may be included in a Rural Health Transformation funding opportunity, this is the time to think beyond the application. We are especially interested in supporting organizations that are looking to strengthen rural access, improve chronic condition outcomes, address food and nutrition insecurity, and build sustainable community-health partnerships.
Preparing for a Rural Health Transformation opportunity?
If your organization is preparing for a Rural Health Transformation opportunity and looking for support with engagement, nutrition interventions, navigation, referrals, or outcomes reporting, we would welcome a conversation.