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TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today announced that Kansas has been awarded $221 million from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to support the first year of the Rural Health Transformation Program. This funding will strengthen rural health systems, expand access to care, and improve health outcomes for Kansans across the state. This funding award exceeds the base amount states allocated and reflects the quality of Kansas’ application. 

“This funding for Kansas will go a long way in fundamentally changing the health care delivery system for rural communities across the state,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “I want to thank the Kansas Rural Health Innovation Alliance for their input on the application development, KDHE, KDADS, and the team at the University of Kansas Health Care Collaborative, who partnered with the State in the development and submission of the plan to CMS.”  

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) will serve as the lead agency for this grant. This process will include coordination with key stakeholders, including the Rural Health Alliance, across the state to ensure funds are distributed in alignment with the approved program framework and federal requirements. Kansas’ framework will provide for projects under five key initiatives:  

• Expand Primary and Secondary Prevention Programs 
• Secure Local Access to Primary Care
• Build a Sustainable Rural Health Workforce 
• Enable Value-Based Care 
• Harness Data and Technology 

Kansas submitted its application to CMS on Nov. 3. The full application is available on the KDHE Rural Health Transformation Program webpage. 

Additional details regarding implementation timelines and next steps will be shared as the work progresses.

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