Gov. Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) today announced application materials are now available for several Rural Health Transformation Program grants. This initial application period will distribute $40 million in grant funding to support projects across the state focused on care coordination, community health workers, and dental clinics.
Three grant funding opportunities are available. Total funding amounts in each category are contingent on approval from CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services).
Grants
Care coordination grants support new and innovative partnership models that coordinate care across systems and sectors in rural Wisconsin. These grants will address fragmented systems of care and road blocks to access care. DHS plans to award up to $10 million in grants this year for a 6-month planning period. Awardees will then be invited to submit another application for a 4-year program period. The full grant opportunity will be released to planning grant recipients in February 2027. It will of an estimated $25 million in the first year pending CMS approval. The planning period application is due August 21, 2026.
Community health worker grants support expanded integration and sustainability of community health workers as an evidence-based care model to improve health outcomes. These outcomes are in Wisconsin’s rural communities. These grants will increase the quality and number of community health workers in the workforce. They will also enhance programs through training and technical assistance and support strong infrastructure and connections between providers and communities. DHS plans to award $20 million for the first year of funding. Letters of intent are recommended but not required. Letters of intent are due July 1, 2026, and full applications are due August 7, 2026.
Rural dental efficiency and access grants support dental clinics in adopting technologies that improve efficiency and increase access to care in rural and semi-rural communities. These technologies can help address challenges that rural clinics face by increasing patient service volumes, improving patient comfort, and maximizing the existing dental workforce. DHS plans to award $10 million through this grant opportunity pending CMS approval. Applications are due July 27, 2026.
Learn more about these grants and how to apply on the DHS current grant funding opportunities webpage.
Applications
Organizations may request technical assistance with their applications by email [email protected]. Technical assistance is being provided by the University of Wisconsin-Population Health Institute, Wisconsin Office of Rural Health, and Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality and can help with accessing community data and planning project evaluation. Those providing technical assistance have no input on funding decisions.
In addition to these grants, DHS will distribute funding to healthcare organizations to support technological innovations that remove barriers to care for rural residents, maximize provider productivity, and ensure improved patient or community health outcomes. Additional information about technology allocations will be provided this summer.
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