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Dear Rural Health Partner,
Rural communities in Montana often face limited access to health care, fragmented clinical infrastructure, and gaps in data integration that hinder timely, informed decision-making. To address this, Montana, led by the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS), has secured over $233 million in funding for the first year and is set to receive up to $1.2 billion over five years through the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) to tackle the biggest challenges to Montana’s rural health care. The key to Montana’s RHTP is strengthening technology and data capabilities to improve coordination, enable remote care, and enhance population health outcomes using two solutions:
- Enhancing data usability and health interventions by creating tools for actionable insights using Montana’s health data, Health Information Exchange (HIE), and implementing monitoring and evaluation programs leveraging a high-quality data warehouse.
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Modernizing Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems for rural providers by updating EHR systems for providers on outdated (non-HITECH certified) platforms and funding consumer-facing EHR modules to enable nutrition and chronic disease management and remote patient monitoring.
To better understand EHR and HIE capabilities, needs, and the optimal EHR grant funding interventions of rural Montana health care facilities, DPHHS is collecting responses to two surveys related to HIE services, HIE usability, and EHR readiness for participants knowledgeable on each topic. Responses from these surveys will directly inform; 1) the utilization of HIE data to drive decisions, statewide operational tool development, and population health interventions; and 2) the modernization of rural health care by allowing local providers to opt into a regional EHR hub. This 'community connect' model enables seamless data sharing, interoperability, and telehealth, while expanding patient access to modern digital health tools.
Please see the links for the surveys below:
These surveys will be open until May 31, 2026. DPHHS appreciates all responses and asks again that parties interested in potential EHR modernization grant funding indicate as such within the EHR Readiness Assessment survey.
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The Rural Health Transformation Program is supported by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $233,509,358.76 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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