Hawaii wins $188.9 million federal Rural Health Transformation award; state outlines six initiatives and CMS oversight

Hawaii has been awarded $188,892,439.75 for the first budget period of the federal Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), state officials told a joint informational briefing of the House Committee on Health on March 6.

Lauren Kim of the governor's office said the cooperative agreement requires substantial involvement by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), that every line item will need CMS approval, and that the state has begun preparing RFIs and contract modifications so work can begin quickly once approvals arrive. "This is a cooperative agreement, not a grant where you just give money," Kim said, adding that the state must demonstrate outcomes and comply with reporting requirements.

The briefing presented six priority initiatives the state proposed for budget period one: Home Run (workforce development), a Rural Health Information Network (health IT and interoperability), a rural value-based initiative preparing providers for AHEAD and alternative payment models, the Peleola telehealth initiative, a Rural Infrastructure for Care Access (RECA) package (EMS/trauma strengthening, mobile clinics, oral and behavioral health), and a rural respite network operated by the Department of Human Services.

JABSOM presenters described Home Run as a pipeline-to-practice effort that will fund at least one health-care certificate program in rural schools, support HOSA student travel, place island-based…