Rural communities have long faced disproportionate health challenges and barriers to health care, including workforce shortages, transportation barriers, and financial pressures experienced by rural providers. New resources made available through the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) offer states opportunities to rethink and transform the way care is delivered in rural communities, with an eye toward sustainability and more efficient models of care.  

NASHP is working across projects and state networks to identify opportunities for coordination and alignment between the RHTP and existing efforts to strengthen behavioral health, primary care, maternity care, aging, and other key state priorities within rural communities. Our current projects to improve rural health include our:

• Rural Health Transformation Program Leadership Network, which will provide resources and support for state officials on strategic and operational priorities related to the effective use of RHTP funds. 
• Rural Primary Care Learning Network, which will provide a forum for state officials to share promising state approaches for strengthening primary care systems in rural communities.
• Maternity Care Deserts Policy Academy, which provides in-depth technical assistance and support to advance knowledge and understanding of promising practices and policy and programmatic innovations; and our Maternity Care Deserts Learning Network, which supports additional states with information on leading innovations.