# Tennessee — Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP)

The Tennessee Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) is actively issuing competitive grants and procurements to enhance rural healthcare access, advance capital investment, modernize health technology, and improve care quality. Current implementation focuses on infrastructure upgrades, workforce development, and expansion of primary, maternal, pediatric, and behavioral health services, with continued emphasis on technology innovation and the Rural Healthcare Access Modernization Program. Procurement activities include targeted initiatives such as CARE grants, Community Health Worker infrastructure projects, and technology-driven solutions. Current structured plan tracks 17 key initiatives and 12 strategic goals.

## At a glance

- Federal awards to date: $417,233,406 (Year 1 $206.9M + Year 2 $210.3M)
- Implementation phase (RCJ): IMPLEMENTING
- Funding opportunities tracked: 26 (1 open or announced, 25 closed)
- Awards recorded: $429.7M to 126 recipients
- Critical Access Hospitals: 18
- Rural population share: 33%

## Current progress

Tennessee has launched the Rural Health Transformation Program-supported Community Health Worker Infrastructure Project and issued multiple competitive grant solicitations to provider organizations serving rural TennCare populations. Major state-level RHTP awards are funding the expansion of behavioral health teams to seven additional rural counties, with 53 grants announced across 44 counties and a co-location project scaling to reach 25 counties by early 2027. Multiple RFAs and RFPs, including the County Health Council CARE Grants, are still open with deadlines through late 2026. Technical assistance and state procurement periods remain active, and new professional service procurements continue. State opportunities: 1 active (1 closing soon, 21 past/closed), $212.4M listed funding. Key opportunities: County Health Council Collaborative Action for Rural Engagement (CARE) Grants; Healthcare Management Consulting Services (RFP #34320-20827); Rural Healthcare Access Modernization Program (RAMP) — Tennessee. Strategy alignment: supports care access priorities. State opportunities: 1 active (1 closing soon, 21 past/closed), $212.4M listed funding. Key opportunities: County Health Council Collaborative Action for Rural Engagement (CARE) Grants; Healthcare Management Consulting Services (RFP #34320-20827); Rural Healthcare Access Modernization Program (RAMP) — Tennessee. Strategy alignment: supports care access priorities.

## CMS published status (State Data Maps)

- State Policy Action commitments: 8 of 19
- Initiatives (17), current CMS stage of each:
  - Comprehensive Health Workforce Pipeline - Building a Comprehensive Rural Health Workforce Pipeline — Stage 1
  - Dental Pilot - Enhancing Investments in the Rural Dental Workforce to Improve Oral Health Access — Stage 1
  - HRP: Health-Tech - Competitive Grants for Rural Health Technology Infrastructure — Stage 1
  - HRP: Make Rural TN Healthy Again (MaRTHA) - Expansion of Competitive “Rural Health Resiliency Program” Grants for Community Driven Prevention Efforts — Stage 1
  - HRP: Maternal and Child Health - Building a Safer Start for Every Mother and Child in Rural Tennessee — Stage 2
  - HRP: Rural Non-Emergency Transportation - Develop and Scale Solutions to Reduce Transportation Barriers in Rural Tennessee — Stage 1
  - HRP: Service Line Expansion & Co-Location - Activating Sustainable Service Lines in Rural Hospital and Healthcare Facilities — Stage 1
  - Last Mile Teams - Unifying Multiple High-Impact Efforts to Expand Tennessee’s Rural Emergency Care Infrastructure and Bring Integrated Health Services Directly to Residents in Hard-to-Reach Areas — Stage 1
  - Memory Care Assessment Network - Expanded Rural Access to ADRD Care Through a Hub-and-Spoke Model — Stage 1
  - Optimizing Rural Health Care - Direct Access to Public Health, Primary Care, and Dental Services for the Uninsured — Stage 2
  - Rural Capacity Building - Targeting Efficiency to Improve Access to Leadership Skills and Specialty Services — Stage 2
  - Rural Health Improvement Grants - Competitive Grants for Locally Led-Upstream Prevention, Nutrition, and Active Living — Stage 1
  - Rural Health Innovation Catalyst - Connecting Innovation Offices to Rural Providers to Advance Health-Tech — Stage 1
  - Statewide eConsult Platform - Establish Statewide eConsult Platform to Improve Specialty Access for Safety Net — Stage 1
  - Statewide Health Information Exchange (HIE) - Developing a Statewide Health Information Exchange — Stage 2
  - TN Community Compass (TNCC) - Expansion of Tennessee’s Successful Closed Loop Referral System (CLRS) — Stage 1
  - Value-Based Payment: Maternal, Hospitals, Dental  - Catalyzing Rural Health Value Based Payment Models — Stage 2
- CMS data captured 2026-11-11, last confirmed 2026-11-11

## Open and announced opportunities

- [County Health Council Collaborative Action for Rural Engagement (CARE) Grants](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/opportunities/county-health-council-collaborative-action-for-rural-engagement-care-grants--03eb463b30) — RFA; Closing soon; due 2026-11-20; $2.0M – $500,000

## Closed opportunities (25, most recent first)

- [Stillbirth Funeral Assistance](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/opportunities/stillbirth-funeral-assistance--450a98d936) — RFA; Closed; due 2026-10-23; $500,000
- [Community Health Worker Infrastructure Project (RFA #31865-00020 Release #2)](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/opportunities/community-health-worker-infrastructure-project-rfa-31865-00020-release-2--8732a3ae78) — RFA; Closed; due 2026-09-30; $225,000 – $450,000
- [Rural Healthcare Access Modernization Program (RAMP) — Tennessee](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/opportunities/rural-healthcare-access-modernization-program-ramp-tennessee--a034a19185) — GRANT; Closed; due 2026-09-30; $427,500 – $40.0M
- [Perinatal Behavioral Health Workforce Development Project](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/opportunities/perinatal-behavioral-health-workforce-development-project--7c804adee4) — RFA; Closed; due 2026-09-28
- [Rural Health Transformation Program Grantee Marketing and Messaging Technical Assistance Services (RFP #34320-21327)](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/opportunities/rural-health-transformation-program-grantee-marketing-and-messaging-technical-as--7aa5aaa7db) — OTHER; Closed; due 2026-09-10
- [Healthcare Management Consulting Services (RFP #34320-20827)](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/opportunities/healthcare-management-consulting-services-rfp-34320-20827--2ddbd1b0cd) — RFP; Closed; due 2026-09-03; $104.4M
- [TN - 2026 - RFP #34320-21227 Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) Marketing and Advertising Services Solicitation](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/opportunities/tn-2026-rfp-34320-21227-rural-health-transformation-program-rhtp-marketing-and-a--137404f804) — RFP; Closed; due 2026-08-26
- [RHTP Community Health Access and Navigation (CHANT) Call Center](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/opportunities/rhtp-community-health-access-and-navigation-chant-call-center--e8a1704e09) — RFP; Closed; due 2026-08-25
- [RHTP Mobile App for Pregnancy and Post-Partum Health](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/opportunities/rhtp-mobile-app-for-pregnancy-and-post-partum-health--6ecb3d3be9) — RFP; Closed; due 2026-08-15
- [RHTP Statewide eConsult Platform](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/opportunities/rhtp-statewide-econsult-platform--1e9f3b457d) — RFP; Closed; due 2026-08-14
- [Rural Fetal and Infant Health Initiative (RFGP #34320-21027)](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/opportunities/rural-fetal-and-infant-health-initiative-rfgp-34320-21027--5bd104a441) — RFP; Closed; due 2026-08-06
- [Healthcare Resiliency Program: Make Rural Tennessee Healthy Again Procurement Opportunity](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/opportunities/healthcare-resiliency-program-make-rural-tennessee-healthy-again-procurement-opp--2fba7c0892) — RFA; Closed; due 2026-08-03; $33.0M
- [Rural Health Transformation Healthcare Resiliency Program: Health Technology and Innovation (Long-Range) (RFA #34320-21427)](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/opportunities/rural-health-transformation-healthcare-resiliency-program-health-technology-and--07501e96f0) — RFA; Closed; due 2026-08-03; $33.0M
- [Healthcare Resiliency Program: Health Technology and Innovation (Short Range) RFA #34320-20327](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/opportunities/healthcare-resiliency-program-health-technology-and-innovation-short-range-rfa-3--c949351761) — RFA; Closed; due 2026-07-27; $100,000 – $500,000
- [RHTP HRP: Rural Non-Emergency Transportation](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/opportunities/rhtp-hrp-rural-non-emergency-transportation--5b4ecfa04b) — RFP; Closed; due 2026-07-20
- [Establish the Tennessee Memory Care Assessment Network (MCAN)](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/opportunities/establish-the-tennessee-memory-care-assessment-network-mcan--3a1dd48c48) — RFA; Closed; due 2026-07-20
- [RHTP CHANT Care Coordination Case Management Information System (CMIS)](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/opportunities/rhtp-chant-care-coordination-case-management-information-system-cmis--2a73477159) — RFP; Closed; due 2026-07-16
- [Healthcare Resiliency Program (HRP): Service Line Expansion & Co-Location](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/opportunities/healthcare-resiliency-program-hrp-service-line-expansion-co-location--63b9df8edf) — RFA; Closed; due 2026-07-13
- [Creating Healthier Rural Communities Through the End Zone for Chronic Disease Prevention](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/opportunities/creating-healthier-rural-communities-through-the-end-zone-for-chronic-disease-pr--82ea81ea08) — RFA; Closed; due 2026-07-06
- [Maternal/Infant and Child Health Healthcare Resiliency Program](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/opportunities/maternal-infant-and-child-health-healthcare-resiliency-program--495982c8c3) — RFA; Closed; due 2026-06-29
- [Perinatal and Pediatric Behavioral Health Teleconsultation and Education Project](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/opportunities/perinatal-and-pediatric-behavioral-health-teleconsultation-and-education-project--813909578b) — RFA; Closed; due 2026-06-15
- [Tennessee RFGP #34347-98027 (Perinatal Telehealth) - Amendment #1](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/opportunities/tennessee-rfgp-34347-98027-perinatal-telehealth-amendment-1--991e2a1713) — RFA; Closed; due 2026-04-21
- [RFI 34320-21126 - Rural Mother-Infant Welcome Home Initiative Support Services](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/opportunities/rfi-34320-21126-rural-mother-infant-welcome-home-initiative-support-services--eec6b48364) — RFI; Closed; due 2025-07-01
- [Tennessee Federal RHTP Award: Year 1 (FY 2026)](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/opportunities/tennessee-federal-rhtp-award-year-1-fy-2026--06a6636f24) — AWARD; Closed; $206.9M
- [Tennessee Federal RHTP Award: Year 2 (FY 2027)](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/opportunities/tennessee-federal-rhtp-award-year-2-fy-2027--8f8ea31a77) — AWARD; Closed; $210.3M

## Largest recorded awards

- Vanderbilt University Medical Center — $27.7M (FY2026)
- Covenant Health — $26.2M (FY2026)
- Methodist Le Bonheur Community Outreach — $18.1M (FY2026)
- Volunteer Behavioral Health Care System — $17.7M (FY2026)
- Tennessee Primary Care Association — $16.7M (FY2026)
- Tennessee Voices for Children, Inc. — $15.0M (FY2026)
- Tennessee Pharmacists Research and Education Foundation — $14.3M (FY2026)
- Erlanger Health — $13.8M (FY2026)
- Jefferson County HMA, LLC — $13.3M (FY2026)
- Camellia Foundation INC — $12.5M (FY2026)
- Tennessee Initiative for Perinatal Quality Care (TIPQC) — $12.5M (FY2026)
- Mercy Health Services, Inc. dba Mercy Community Healthcare — $11.9M (FY2026)
- Jackson-Madison County General Hospital District — $11.9M (FY2026)
- The University of Tennessee Health Sciences — $10.9M (FY2026)
- Diana Health TN, PC — $10.8M (FY2026)

## Official sources RCJ monitors

- [Tennessee Hospital Association](https://tha.com/advocacy/rural-health-transformation-program/)
- [TN TennCare Upcoming Procurements](https://www.tn.gov/tenncare/information-statistics/upcoming-procurements.html)
- [TN RHTP Primary](https://www.tn.gov/health/rural.html)
- [TN TDH Procurement Opportunities](https://www.tn.gov/health/procurement.html)
- [TN Dept of Health Partner Portal (Caspio)](https://tndeptofhealth.caspio.app/tdh-partner-portal/home)
- [TN CPO RFP Opportunities](https://www.tn.gov/generalservices/procurement/central-procurement-office--cpo-/supplier-information/request-for-proposals--rfp--opportunities1.html)

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Source: Rural Care Journey (RCJ), https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/states/tn — data as of 2026-11-11.
Cite the RCJ page for the summary and the linked official source for authoritative terms, deadlines, and amounts.