Rural Health Transformation in Massachusetts

Check out how Massachusetts is moving our RTHP plan forward.

The Massachusetts Rural Health Transformation Program is structured around seven Initiatives, each of which contains numerous activities, to transform rural healthcare across the Commonwealth:

1. Population Health Advancement: Improve clinical infrastructure, increase coordination and expand payment methodologies to advance rural health providers’ value-based care and efforts to lower cost and increase quality of care.
2. Innovation in Rural Care Models: Facilitate the introduction and redesign of models in rural Massachusetts to increase access, broaden service availability, and improve efficiencies in the delivery of health care.
3. Training Healthcare for Retention, Innovation, & Excellence (THRIVE): Strengthen the full continuum of the healthcare workforce in rural communities with targeted activities focused on workforce development, recruitment, and retention.
4. Healthy Rural Communities: Support community-informed and led prevention activities to increase opportunities and address gaps related to the root causes of health.
5. EMS Service Integration: Investments and programs to increase viability, integration, and expand role of EMS in rural communities.
6. Enhancing Technology Interoperability and Connectivity: Improving technological infrastructure of rural health providers to increase connectivity, create efficiencies, and support better outcomes.
7. Facility Modernization & Re-Use: Support minor renovations of rural facilities to optimize space and expand access.

The Massachusetts Rural Health Transformation Program will be led by an interagency team comprised of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS), the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), the Massachusetts Medicaid program (MassHealth), DPH’s Office of Rural Health, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Economic Development’s Office of Rural Affairs, and other agencies throughout state government.

To reinforce EOHHS’s ongoing commitment to community and public engagement, we invite all parties to join us and to stay informed about progress and opportunities for engagement. EOHHS will continue outreach efforts through the creation of a Community Advisory Council, initiative-specific workgroups, public information sessions, and partnerships with existing rural advisory bodies.

This website is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $162,005,238.13 with 100 percent 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.