Transforming for a Sustainable Health System in Rural Georgia
Prepares rural hospitals for a Georgia version of CMS's AHEAD model, which ties payment from multiple payers to outcomes and stable hospital budgets.
RHTP state profile · Georgia
Georgia Rural Health Transformation Program
Georgia received $218.9 million in Year 1 of the $50 billion federal Rural Health Transformation Program, 7th of 50 states. The Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) runs the program, called GREAT Health, which funds five initiatives across 126 rural and partly rural counties, from value-based care at rural hospitals to workforce training and health technology.
Year 1 awards, all 50 statesGA: $218.9M
Texas $281.3MNew Jersey $147.3M
$218.9MYear 1 award, 7th of 50
5Funded initiatives
126 / 159Georgia counties are rural or partly rural
DCHGeorgia Department of Community Health
Spending data in the RHTP Year One Report covers December 29, 2025 to July 31, 2026, the latest CMS reporting window.
At a glance
Georgia's program at a glance
The award is fixed for the year. Spending moves every quarter, so Georgia's section of the RHTP Year One Report tracks how much was put to work, and with whom, through July 31, 2026. It updates after each CMS data release.
Year 1 award$218,862,169, 7th of 50 states
Run byGeorgia Department of Community Health
Budget Period 1December 29, 2025 to October 30, 2026
Initiatives5
Rural counties126 of 159
Spending data through July 31, 2026Georgia's section of the Year One Report →Initiatives
What does Georgia's RHTP fund?
Georgia's RHTP, the Georgia Rural Enhancement and Transformation of Health (GREAT Health) Program, funds five initiatives that cover 29 projects in hospital payment reform, chronic and behavioral care, access to care, workforce and technology. Every DCH funding opportunity maps to one of the five.
Strengthening the Continuum of Care in Rural Georgia
Prevention and chronic illness care, including newborn screening, nonemergency ambulance transport, school-based health, brain injury support and nursing home transportation hubs.
Connecting to Care to Improve Healthcare Access in Rural Georgia
Point-of-care telepods, rural hospital stabilization grants, perinatal readiness, telehealth in county health departments and psychiatric care for mothers and children.
Growing a Highly Skilled Healthcare Workforce in Rural Georgia
Rural physician recruitment and residency slots, nursing education, dementia care training, AHEC rural rotations and EMT and paramedic training.
Leveraging Technology for Healthcare Innovations in Rural Georgia
Hospital cybersecurity, a tech fund for health startups, records sharing, surgical robots, faster Medicaid eligibility and EMS telehealth for treatment in place.
Recipients by initiative are in Georgia's section of the RHTP Year One Report.
Source documents
Georgia's full plan is public
The approved plan has more detail than any summary: goals, partners, metrics and timelines for each initiative. Read it before responding to a Georgia funding opportunity.
PDFDCHGeorgia's GREAT Health ApplicationDCH's full application in an accessible web version, including all five initiatives and Georgia's policy commitments.PDFDCHGREAT Health Project SummaryDCH's summary of the plan and its Year 1 budget.PDFCMSCMS 50-State SpotlightsCMS's short profile of each state's program, including Georgia's.PDFCMSCMS State Project AbstractsEach state's own summary, side by side.
Rural or partly rural county (126)Other counties (33)
Eligibility
Which Georgia counties are eligible for RHTP funding?
Georgia's program covers 126 of the state's 159 counties, the rural and partly rural counties identified with HRSA's rural grants eligibility analyzer, home to about 2.4 million rural residents. Healthcare facilities and organizations serving those counties can apply, and in partly rural counties such as Bartow, Bulloch and Glynn only the rural portions are the focus. Separately, DCH invited 93 rural hospitals to join its value-based care initiative.
View DCH's eligible counties list →How to apply
How can Georgia providers apply for RHTP funding?
Georgia providers apply through Requests for Grant Applications and funding announcements from DCH and partner agencies such as the Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce, posted on the GREAT Health website's Find Funding Opportunities page. All Year 1 awards were committed in August 2026, and two workforce rounds opened this fall. Providers and vendors don't apply to CMS directly.
- Match the work to an initiative.Funding only goes to work that fits one of the five.
- Watch for new rounds.Join the GREAT Health email list and check Find Funding Opportunities, where all future applications post.
- Register in SAM.gov.It is standard for federally funded grants and contracts.
- Plan for federal rules.Grant recipients follow federal grant, reporting and audit rules. A Single Audit applies at $1 million or more in federal spending a year.
- Ask DCH directly.Email greathealth@dch.georgia.gov.
Federal terms
Four rules that shape every award
Federal terms follow the money down to every Georgia recipient.
Grants and contracts carry different obligations
A subaward makes your organization a subrecipient that carries out part of the program, with federal reporting and audit requirements. A contract pays for goods or services, with lighter requirements.
New rounds follow CMS budget approval
States can't post funding opportunities until CMS approves their budget, so windows can open months into a budget period.
Workforce incentives need a rural commitment
Recruitment and retention payments require clinicians to commit to serving rural communities for at least five years.
Recipients must disclose the federal funding
Under the Stevens Amendment, websites, social posts and other public materials about a funded project must name the federal funding.
Allowable costs
What can Georgia's RHTP funding pay for?
Georgia's RHTP funding can pay for work on existing facilities, uncovered care, technology and administration, within federal caps on each use. Applied to Georgia's Year 1 award, the maximums are:
Capital and infrastructure20% of award
About $43.8M
Provider payments15% of award
About $32.8M
Administrative costs10% of award
About $21.9M
Rural Tech Catalyst Fund10% or $20M, whichever is less
$20.0M
Replacing an existing EMR system5% of award
About $10.9M
Provider payments and capital
Provider payments cover services insurance doesn't pay for, quality bonuses and outcome-based payments tied to Georgia's plan. They can't raise rates for services providers already bill.
Capital funds go to existing facilities: renovations, accessibility upgrades, HVAC and like-for-like equipment replacement.
Off limits
- New construction, demolition and major expansions
- Cosmetic work such as painting, carpet or decor
- Clinician salaries at facilities that use non-compete clauses
- Home broadband installation and service
- Costs already covered by other federal or state funding
Policy commitments
Georgia's policy commitments carry deadlines
Georgia's application cites six state policy actions. Three are done, all existing law, and CMS lists the remote monitoring and nutrition education changes as Georgia's new commitments. CMS can reduce or recover funding if commitments slip.
Certificate of need
Ease certificate of need rules for rural services
House Bill 1339 signed April 2024 adds rural exemptionsStudent fitness testing
Require annual fitness testing in public schools
Already required under the SHAPE Act and State Board ruleShort-term health plans
Keep short-term limited duration insurance rules in line with federal policy
Already in state lawRemote monitoring for pregnancy
Add a statewide Medicaid benefit for remote blood pressure, glucose and weight monitoring during pregnancy and postpartum
Plan targets the DCH Board's final 2027 meetingNutrition education for physicians
Encourage nutrition continuing medical education through a Composite Medical Board rule
Plan targets the board's final 2028 meetingScope of practice
Broaden what dental hygienists can do by rule
Rule amendments under review; House Bills 567 and 322 signed 2025Georgia already belongs to the physician, nurse, psychology, EMS, counseling, physical therapy, occupational therapy and audiology and speech-language pathology licensure compacts.
Years 2 to 5
$40B
Future awards depend on progress
Year 1 is not a guaranteed annual amount. CMS plans up to $40 billion more nationwide through 2030 and rescores every state each year on progress, data and policy actions.
Unobligated money leaves the state
Funds not obligated by the end of a budget period can't be obligated later and are redistributed to other states.
Funds can be clawed back
CMS can withhold, reduce or recover money for unallowable costs, unapproved plan changes or missed policy commitments. States get 90 days to fix a violation, and most decisions can't be appealed.
Oversight is growing
CMS's Office of Rural Health Transformation plans site visits in all 50 states in 2026. Audits start in 2027.
Method
Reading Georgia's spending data
Use the numbers in Georgia's section of the RHTP Year One Report to understand direction and pace, not as an audit.
Put to work is not paid out
Obligated money is signed to a contract or grant. Cash reaches recipients later.
Through July 31, 2026 only
The data covers December 29, 2025 to July 31, 2026, as Georgia reported it to CMS. Commitments made after July 31, 2026 are not counted yet.
Recipients sit inside line items
The CMS report has no recipient column. Search Georgia's line item descriptions by name.
Quarterly refresh
CMS updates the data after each quarterly state report, starting with the November 30, 2026 filing.
Announcements
Major Georgia announcements
The Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce opens Nursing Simulation Mannequins grant applications, due November 13, 2026.
The Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce opens the Rural Graduate Medical Education Development Grant, up to $3 million per award.
DCH awards $93.3 million in Phase 4, fully committing Year 1. Awards cover AHEAD readiness for 87 rural hospitals, surgical robots at 13 hospitals, telepods, EMS and nursing training.
DCH awards $60.5 million in Phase 3, including $750,000 each to 80 rural hospitals preparing for the AHEAD model.
DCH awards $30.6 million in Phase 2 to 26 organizations, including Rural Stabilization Grants for 17 rural hospitals.
DCH awards the first $12.7 million to five subgrantees for newborn screening, brain injury support, nursing and rural workforce, and a wellness platform.
CMS approves Georgia's amended Year 1 budget of $218.9 million.
Awards announced after July 31, 2026 are not in the CMS spending data yet. They will appear after the next CMS refresh.
Timeline
Key dates
- Dec 29, 2025Year 1 award; Budget Period 1 begins
- Feb 26, 2026CMS approves Georgia's amended Year 1 budget
- Mar 15, 2026Hospital letters of intent due for the AHEAD-based model
- Jun 8, 2026First GREAT Health subgrantees announced
- Jul 31, 2026End of the first CMS reporting window; Year One Report spending data runs through this date
- Aug 27, 2026All Year 1 awards committed
- Oct 30, 2026Budget Period 1 ends; Rural GME Development Grant applications due
- Nov 5, 2026GREAT Health Advisory Committee inaugural meeting
- Nov 13, 2026Nursing Simulation Mannequins applications close
- Nov 30, 2026Quarterly reports due; CMS refreshes funding data
- Dec 31, 2027Remote pregnancy monitoring deadline
- Dec 31, 2028Nutrition education deadline
- 2030Final year of the five-year program
Implications
What this means
For rural hospitals
AHEAD readiness drew Georgia's largest Year 1 awards, with 87 rural hospitals funded to prepare for value-based payment. Rural Stabilization Grants, telepods and surgical robots also went to individual hospitals. Watch for Year 2 rounds and for the Type 2 ambulance program, which DCH says select rural hospitals can apply for soon.
For partners and vendors
Georgia routed much of Year 1 through state agencies, the University System of Georgia, universities and associations, so partnering with those subgrantees is one route in. Georgia Tech Research Institute manages ARCHER, a tech fund for startups building consumer-facing health tools. Workforce, telehealth, cybersecurity and hospital technology are the most active lanes.
For applicants and grantees
Build tracking for the measures Georgia reports to CMS before an award lands. Subrecipients can't opt out of reporting, and their results feed Georgia's annual rescoring. Check each award's spending deadline; the Rural GME grant, for example, must be spent by September 1, 2027.
FAQ
Georgia RHTP FAQs
Who runs Georgia's Rural Health Transformation Program?
The Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) runs Georgia's Rural Health Transformation Program, called the GREAT Health Program, using federal funding from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). DCH manages the state's plan, posts funding opportunities and answers questions at greathealth@dch.georgia.gov. A GREAT Health Advisory Committee held its first meeting on November 5, 2026. The program is Georgia's share of the $50 billion federal Rural Health Transformation Program.
How much RHTP funding did Georgia receive?
Georgia received $218,862,169 for Year 1 of the Rural Health Transformation Program, 7th of 50 states. Every state got $100 million in baseline funding, and the rest of Georgia's award was based on its rural needs, its policy commitments and the strength of its plan. Later years depend on Georgia's progress.
Can Georgia RHTP funding pay for construction?
No. RHTP funds can't pay for new construction, demolition or major expansions. Up to 20% of Georgia's award each year, about $43.8 million in Year 1, can go to work on existing facilities, such as renovations, accessibility upgrades, HVAC replacement and like-for-like equipment replacement.
Can Georgia providers use RHTP funding to pay for patient care?
Only for care that insurance doesn't already pay for. Provider payments can cover nonreimbursed services, quality bonuses and outcome-based payments tied to Georgia's plan, up to 15% of the award each year, about $32.8 million in Year 1. They can't raise rates for services providers already bill.
Where can I see how Georgia is spending its RHTP funding?
The RHTP Year One Report tracks how much of Georgia's award was put to work through July 31, 2026, by initiative and recipient, using state-reported data from CMS, and is updated after each CMS data release. Awards announced after July 31, such as $93.3 million in August 2026 for AHEAD readiness, surgical robots, telepods and workforce training, will appear after the next CMS refresh.
The Alliance
RHT Alliance members serving Georgia
These RHT Alliance members serve Georgia providers, with support that spans EHR and billing, virtual nursing, virtual care, remote monitoring, health data, diagnostics, patient education and grant writing.
Azalea HealthCloud EHR and billing with AI-assisted charting for rural hospitals and clinics.
CorstrataTelehealth access to board-certified wound, ostomy and continence nurses.
Equum MedicalTelehealth-enabled physician coverage across specialties.
Health Recovery SolutionsRemote patient monitoring and care management at home.
InterSystemsHealth data platforms and interoperability.
Medical Equipment SourceDigital pathology, mobile labs and lab equipment services.
Rural Health Transformation Funding NetworkGrant writing support for RHTP funding opportunities.
Self Care DecisionsEvidence-based triage that directs patients to the right level of care.
Solid StartsInfant feeding guidance and education for families, built by pediatric feeding specialists.
Teledentistry.com24/7 virtual dental evaluations and emergency triage.
VitalChatVirtual nursing and continuous audio and video care across hospitals.
WebMD IgniteMedically reviewed patient education and outreach, including its HEART rural program.Follow Georgia's money as it moves
The RHTP Year One Report tracks obligations, initiatives and recipients for all 50 states after each CMS data release.