Governor Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) have launched the Rural Health Transformation Program, opening applications for an initial $40 million in grant funding to improve healthcare affordability and accessibility in rural communities. Supported by a larger $203.6 million federal award from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), this initial funding cycle targets three key areas: up to $10 million for care coordination planning models (applications due August 21, 2026), $20 million to expand and integrate community health workers (applications due August 7, 2026), and $10 million to help rural dental clinics adopt efficiency-boosting technologies (applications due July 27, 2026). Eligible organizations can access application materials on the DHS website and may request technical assistance from partnering state health institutes to support their project planning and data evaluation.

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