CHARLESTON, W.Va (The Hinton News) – Governor Patrick Morrisey announced two new funding opportunities totaling approximately $4.2 million through the state’s Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP). The opportunities, offered through the Rural Health Link (RHL) initiative, aim to improve how rural West Virginians access healthcare by addressing transportation barriers and strengthening coordination across the healthcare system.
“Too many West Virginians have difficulty getting the healthcare they need simply because of where they live or because they don’t have reliable transportation,” said Governor Morrisey. “By breaking down those barriers, we can improve health outcomes, help more West Virginians get healthy and back to work, and make sure people are connected with the right care when they need it.”
The funding opportunities include the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Collaboratives and the Public Transportation Collaboratives. Together, these programs are intended to support innovative approaches that help connect patients to the right care, at the right place, at the right time.
The EMS Collaboratives funding opportunity aims to support county and multi-county EMS programs that develop alternative destination transport models. Rather than defaulting to the emergency department in every situation, these programs would help EMS providers assess when patients with non-emergency needs may be more appropriately connected to settings such as primary care clinics, urgent care centers, behavioral health providers, or Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs).
“The Trump Administration’s Rural Health Transformation Program is based on one simple idea: your access to quality health care shouldn’t depend on your ZIP code,” said Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. “Funding new approaches to rural medical transportation is an important step toward achieving that vision for rural West Virginians, and I look forward to seeing RHTP dollars support equally transformative innovations for rural communities nationwide.”
The Public Transportation Collaboratives funding opportunity aims to support the establishment of regional transportation networks that coordinate non-emergency medical transportation services across multiple counties. These collaboratives are intended to improve transportation reliability, strengthen coordination among transportation providers and healthcare organizations, and help rural residents reach appointments and services more easily.
“Transportation and care coordination are often among the biggest barriers to better health outcomes,” said Secretary of Health Dr. Arvin Singh. “These opportunities are intended to encourage practical, community-driven solutions that improve access to care, strengthen coordination among providers and partners, and support a more connected rural health system.”
Both opportunities are intended to support transformation and system improvement rather than routine operational costs. Funding may be used to establish new partnerships, implement coordinated workflows, strengthen transportation infrastructure, support data integration efforts, and improve accountability and performance measurement across participating organizations.
Eligible applicants may access the active solicitations through the state’s procurement and grants management system at wvOASIS.gov. Interested organizations are encouraged to review the full material packet for detailed eligibility requirements, submission instructions, and key deadlines. Additional information will be shared through an upcoming AFA release webinar.
This press release 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 $199,476,098.72, with 100% 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.
