The Rural Health Transformation Program Advancing rural health Dad and son on farm Young farmer dad holding son Rural communities across the country face growing challenges in accessing timely, high-quality, and affordable healthcare. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program offers a historic opportunity to protect and improve healthcare for rural communities. Guidehouse turns complex rural health policy into measurable progress in communities across America. Drawing on our deep understanding of federal regulations, state rural health strategies, and the day-to-day realities of rural providers, we design, launch, and scale initiatives that expand access, stabilize finances, and improve outcomes. See how we can help States States are tasked with designing, implementing, and managing a coordinated set of rural health initiatives with clear budgets, accountability measures, and provider engagement to meet CMS requirements and promote long-term sustainability. Program administration and governance: We facilitate compliance with CMS requirements through end-to-end program administration, including grants management, compliance monitoring, implementation support, and reporting. Technical assistance and training: Our experts offer technical assistance, training, and implementation support to help states adopt best practices, optimize operations, and build sustainable capabilities for rural health transformation. Alternative payment models: Our team of former CMS and state Medicaid officials designs and scales advanced payment models and value-based strategies. We support states with financial modeling, policy analysis, and payer alignment to drive quality and cost efficiency. Technology and data infrastructure: We help states modernize health IT systems, implement secure data platforms, and deploy analytics solutions that improve interoperability, strengthen transparency, and inform decision-making. How we’re helping states Health Systems As expected recipients of a significant portion of RHT funds, provider organizations are being asked to develop programs that align with state priorities, advance organizational goals, and enable measurable and sustainable impact. Revenue cycle and shared services: Our Best in KLAS® revenue cycle solutions help our rural clients strengthen financial viability by improving efficiency with shared service models for billing, scheduling, compliance, and other key services. Value-based care and financial transformation: We design and manage innovative payment models, support global budgeting, and provide fiscal oversight and compliance tools to help providers transition from fee-for-service to outcomes-based care. Technology and data modernization: We implement advanced EHR systems, build digital health infrastructure, and deploy secure data and analytics platforms to improve care coordination. Workforce development and community integration: We deliver training, technical assistance, and strategic planning to expand rural health services, strengthen provider networks, and align community-led initiatives with state and federal goals. How we’re helping providers Providers Community Community-based organizations will play a key role in helping states and providers make their vision a reality. Strategy: Our data-driven approach helps community organizations quantify health gaps, align with state priorities, and craft competitive grant proposals that secure RHT funding. Workforce transformation: We support leaders in identifying skill gaps, recruiting local talent, and expanding culturally competent services in rural areas. Healthcare needs assessments and regional collaboratives: We help organizations identify needs, coordinate partnerships, and establish referral networks. Technology: We deliver AI, cloud, and platform solutions that modernize operations—so leaders can stay focused on serving their communities. How we’re helping community-based organizations Community organizations Federal Federal agencies will be tasked with helping implement state plans and providing technical assistance. Grants Management : By connecting grantors and recipients, we align requirements and expectations to streamline operations. Our expertise, proven practices, and proprietary tools maximize outcomes. Program Management, Execution, and Delivery : We help federal agencies manage and implement programs, improve business process efficiency, and optimize costs. Financial Management: We bring a tech-enabled approach to help public finance leaders make informed decisions, using AI and analytics to enable real-time insights and predictive capabilities. Risk, Regulatory & Compliance: Our team of risk management, compliance, and evaluation experts assists agencies in facilitating adherence to documented plans and assessing the effectiveness of programs. How we’re helping CMS and other agencies Who we help Shared services models States are using RHT funds to form shared services centers that centralize back-office functions and reduce costs. Guidehouse is working with states and state hospital associations to develop shared services centers that allow hospitals to consolidate resources for: Revenue cycle management HR Finance IT Supply chain management and other operational functions Contact us to explore shared services models that can support the needs of your state and/or hospital association. Our work Supporting New Mexico Brown landscape with trees Guidehouse helped the New Mexico Health Care Authority develop a five-year RHT Program application, proposing $1 billion in improvements in workforce, tech, and services. Supporting New Mexico’s RHT app Enabling TN Two doctors looking at ipad Guidehouse helped Tennessee establish its Rural Health Care Task Force, which made recommendations leading to $197M in funding for workforce and care programs. Enabling TN rural transformation Improving rural hospital ops Learn More woman doctor on red background Tennessee engaged Guidehouse to establish a statewide Rural Hospital Transformation Program. Participating hospitals added $8M and saved $4M annually. Improving rural hospital operations Hugh Chatham Orange graph on blue digital background Hugh Chatham Health reduced revenue cycle costs by 27% by redesigning a legacy system, helping the rural health system improve its long-term financial sustainability. Reducing costs at Hugh Chatham VA rural strategies doctor talking to woman Guidehouse helped the Veterans Health Administration refresh its Rural Health National Planning Strategy with new guidelines. Developing VA rural strategies Garnet Health icy blue hospital hallway Our experts helped Garnet Health redesign rural care delivery to overcome rising costs. Aligning staffing with demand and acuity helped reduce temporary labor to nearly zero. Redesigning care at Garnet Health CARES Act people shaking hands in light filled hallway Guidehouse helped South Carolina implement a grants management system that expedited applications and disbursed funds quickly and effectively. Managing CARES Act grants 1 Who does GH help States : Guidehouse works with states to build effective RHT-funded programs and manage grants processes. Providers : Guidehouse helps providers make effective use of RHT funds to strengthen operations, revenue cycle, finance, and care delivery. Community organizations : Guidehouse works with community organizations to identify needs and build local partnerships. Federal agencies : Guidehouse supports CMS and other agencies in managing RHT programs and measuring results. Who does Guidehouse help? 2 shared services Shared services centralize functions such as revenue cycle, scheduling, compliance, technology, and analytics across rural providers. Guidehouse helps states and providers design and implement these models to reduce cost, improve performance, and expand capacity. What are shared services? 3 rural experience Guidehouse has worked with New Mexico Health Care Authority, the Tennessee Department of Health, Hugh Chatham Health, Garnet Health, and the Veterans Health Administration on projects related to rural hospital operations, revenue cycle improvement, care redesign, rural health strategy, and grants management. What rural experience does Guidehouse have? 4 RHT funding RHT funding can support projects that expand rural access, strengthen workforce capacity, modernize technology, improve revenue cycle and operations, launch shared services, build partnerships, and create sustainable care models, among other uses. How can RHT funding be used? About us