OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma has officially secured approximately $223.5 million for the first year of a five-year grant through the Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program, part of an historic $50 billion federal investment authorized by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. This award marks a new era for the state, providing unprecedented resources to strengthen the delivery of healthcare and improve outcomes for communities across rural Oklahoma.
“Quality rural health access is vital to Oklahoma’s future,” said Governor Kevin Stitt. “Funding from the Rural Health Transformation Program will help strengthen smalltown clinics and critical access hospitals so families can get quality care close to home. Where you live should never determine whether you get the care you need.”
The RHT Program, under the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), is designed to help states reimagine rural health care by improving access, quality, and sustainability. Oklahoma’s plan aligns with CMS’s five strategic goals:
- Make rural America healthy again
- Sustainable access
- Workforce development
- Innovative care
- Tech innovation
“Rural health care is the stabilizing factor for growth and success of many Oklahoma communities,” said Clay Bullard, Secretary of Health and Mental Health and Oklahoma Health Care Authority CEO. “This funding provides a transformational opportunity for Oklahoma to enhance both our access to care and the technological quality of care in rural counties, where it is an imminent part of the local communities’ survival.”
Oklahoma’s application was shaped through collaboration among state agencies – including the Oklahoma State Department of Health, Health Care Authority, Human Services, Workforce Commission, and Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services – alongside hospitals, providers, community organizations, and patient advocacy groups. This broad input ensured the plan is realistic and reflects the real challenges and priorities of rural health care.
“This funding is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to reshape rural health in Oklahoma,” said Commissioner of Health Keith Reed. “The RHT Program is a powerful step forward, laying the foundation for lasting change. Continued collaboration is key to success, and we encourage communities and stakeholders to stay engaged as we tackle the complex realities of rural healthcare, together.”
Initiatives in Oklahoma’s plan include:
- Innovating the care model: bringing care to communities and communities to care through virtual care options, transportation support, expanded care teams and funding for health infrastructure.
Moving upstream: investing in community-led health and wellness support, including connections to care and innovative chronic disease prevention and management programs. - Growing next-gen rural talent: building a pipeline for health care talent in rural communities, from “grow your own” programs to recruiting talent to rural communities.
- Facilitating regional collaboration: strengthening partnership between rural providers to leverage scale for administrative support, advanced technology and governance support.
- Shifting to value: supporting a pathway to risk-sharing through technical assistance, infrastructure building and quality incentive programs.
- Building health data utility: expanding access to, use of, and uses for health data through investment in base technology (e.g., Electronic Health Records), interoperability, and data and analytics functionality.
Updates, as well as procurement and funding opportunities, will be placed on Oklahoma’s RHT Program website as they become available.
Oklahoma remains dedicated to ensuring effective management of funds and careful monitoring of initiatives with the goal of rural residents having access to high-quality, locally grounded care that is connected through technology, supported by regional collaboration, and sustained by a strong rural workforce.
Together, these efforts will build sustainable rural health systems that elevate care across the state.
