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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 15, 2026
CONTACT: Baylee.Watts@dss.mo.gov
Missouri Department of Social Services Invites Rural Care Organizations to Attend Missouri RHTP “ToRCH Care” Webinars
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Missouri Department of Social Services (DSS) is inviting rural healthcare providers, community-based organizations, and other stakeholders to participate in a series of informational webinars supporting Missouri’s implementation of the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), a major federal initiative designed to strengthen healthcare in rural communities.
As part of this effort, Missouri is launching Transformation of Rural Community Health (ToRCH) Care, the state’s coordinated model to enhance rural healthcare delivery and improve community outcomes. The webinar series will introduce the ToRCH Care model, outline opportunities for organizations to participate, and preview upcoming leadership roles within the program.
ToRCH Care is organized around a statewide network of community-based Hubs, each covering approximately three to five counties and bringing together partners such as hospitals, clinics, EMS, pharmacies, and community-based organizations. Within each Hub, partners collaborate to assess local needs, coordinate care through connected referral systems, and implement programs tailored to community priorities. The Hub framework emphasizes partnership and shared governance—not vertical integration.
Each Hub will include a designated Anchor organization serving as the neutral convener and coordinator. Details regarding Hub Anchors—including eligibility, expectations, and the application timeline—will be released in early June along with the official Hub boundary map and additional informational sessions. DSS encourages interested Anchor applicants to begin engaging local partners as they prepare collaborative applications.
The first ToRCH Care informational webinar will be held on Wednesday, April 22, at 1:00 PM CT, offering an overview of RHTP, the ToRCH Care model, and the Hub Anchor role.
Additional webinars will provide guidance tailored to specific organization types:
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ToRCH Care program overview webinar
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Hospital-specific program deep dive
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Non-hospital clinical providers deep dive (e.g., FQHCs, RHCs, CCBHCs, EMS, pharmacies)
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Community institutions deep dive (e.g., CBOs, LPHAs)
Registration information and a full webinar calendar are available on the DSS RHTP website.
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The Rural Health Transformation Program information provided by the Missouri Department of Social Services is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $216,276,817.66, with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, CMS/HHS, or the U.S. Government.
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