What’s In Michigan’s Rural Health Transformation Fund Application?

Applications were required to be focused around interventions relating to access, workforce development, innovative care, and technology.  The deadline for applications was November 4rth and CMS will review them and respond to applying states by December 31st.

Michigan’s application is publicly available and offers a good look at how Michigan proposes to use funding to optimize outcomes for Michiganders if CMS approves the proposal as submitted. As you read through the summary, you will see that MDHHS did a very nice and balanced job of leveraging and strengthening existing key efforts as well as introducing exciting new initiatives that will indeed transform rural health and improve outcomes. We will continue to watch the RHTF application and report on updates and additional details as they are available. In the interim, here is a peak at what’s inside the application submitted by the Great Lakes state. The Michigan application has four main components:  1) Partnerships Initiatives; 2) Workforce Initiatives; 3) Interoperability Initiatives; and 4) the Closer to Home Blueprint. Here is a glimpse at the highlights of each of the areas:

1. Workforce for Wellness Initiative including:
   • A Rural Health Workforce Pipeline and Education Fund with:
     • A High School to Health Care Pipeline Grant Program
     • A BSW to MSW Stipend Program
   • A Rural Provider Recruitment and Capacity Fund
     • Rural Health Provider Recruitment and Retention Fund
       • Maternal Health Provider Training Program
       • EMS Retention and Recruitment Program
       • Limited Licensed MSW Supervision Stipend Program
       • CHW and community paramedic trainings and certifications
       • Creating initiatives for new workforce entrants and incentivizing and supporting the existing workforce
   • A Rural Provider Recruitment, Retention, and Capacity Program
2. An Interoperability Initiatives Program aimed at reducing duplicative care and improving health outcomes that features:
   • Remote technologies for high-need patients
   • Pilots to link EMS data with hospital EHRs and integrate community-based social service data via Community Information Exchanges to improve the timeliness and coordination of care
   • Data integration pilot projects with EMS, rural clinics, rural hospitals, FQHCs, and community-based organizations
   • EHR, Health Information Exchange, and Community Information Exchange capability
   • Expanding data-sharing capabilities between rural providers and HIE networks
   • Strengthening statewide coordination of care
3. A Closer to Home Blueprint that will bring health services closer to rural residents and connect health and social sector providers, reduce transportation barriers, and expand opportunities for older adults to age in place through:
   • A new behavioral health model to reduce costs by diverting avoidable inpatient admissions and minimizing reliance on law enforcement interventions
   • Behavioral health urgent care via telehealth or in-person options for same-day, urgent access.
   • Promoting healthy aging through expanded community-based care for older adults
   • Proactive discharge planning to ease the path to independence for elders, including accessible housing support, transportation to primary care appointments, medication management, follow-up, and support.
   • Supporting rural PACE (Program for All Inclusive Care) alternative care settings that provide adult day services and clinical care with a more flexible model than full PACE centers.
   • Providing Home and Community-Based Service clients with medical needs with emergency preparedness kits, battery-operated generators for power outages

It’s also worth noting that five percent of the award will be set aside for projects with tribal government pa