Rural Health at the Inflection Point: Infrastructure, Investment, and Access

More than a year after the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program committed funds to all 50 states, the hard work of implementation has started, and the early returns are complicated. To maximize impact, CMS called for shovel-ready investments, but states must also contend with Medicaid cuts compressing the safety net rural communities depend on most. How states respond to that tension, and where they choose to experiment, given latitude, amount to a natural experiment in rural health transformation. In this session, state leaders on the front lines of implementation will examine what durable rural health infrastructure really takes: the workforce models, technology investments, and community-based partnerships that will make change stick beyond the grant cycle.