Ohio Rural School Based Health Centers
Health centers on rural school grounds, often run by FQHCs, offering primary care, screenings, dental and behavioral health care.
RHTP state profile · Ohio
Ohio Rural Health Transformation Program
Ohio received $202.0 million in Year 1 of the $50 billion federal Rural Health Transformation Program, 25th of 50 states. The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) runs the program, which funds nine initiatives across Ohio's 73 rural counties, from school-based health centers to rural innovation hubs.
Year 1 awards, all 50 statesOH: $202.0M
Texas $281.3MNew Jersey $147.3M
$202.0MYear 1 award, 25th of 50
9Funded initiatives
73 / 88Ohio counties are RHTP focus areas
ODHOhio Department of 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
Ohio's program at a glance
The award is fixed for the year. Spending moves every quarter, so Ohio'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$202,030,262, 25th of 50 states
Run byOhio Department of Health
Budget Period 1December 29, 2025 to October 30, 2026
Initiatives9
Counties of focus73 of 88
Spending data through July 31, 2026Ohio's section of the Year One Report →Initiatives
What does Ohio's RHTP fund?
Ohio's RHTP funds nine initiatives across school-based care, emergency care, workforce, maternal health, pharmacy access and prevention. Every funding opportunity ODH posts maps to one of these nine.
OhioSEE: vision, hearing and dental services for rural students
Mobile eye, dental and hearing care for students, expanding from 13 counties toward statewide coverage.
Ohio Rural Health Innovation Hubs
Start-up funding for integrated networks of hospitals, clinics, pharmacies and other providers.
Rural Ohio Emergency Care Transformation
Scales a 2025 pilot of alternate-destination transport and treat-in-place EMS care statewide.
Rural Health Workforce Pipeline and Development Projects
Health career pipelines that start with students, plus upskilling and retention.
Maternal and Infant Wellness Home Visiting in Rural Ohio
Nurse-led home visiting in all rural and partially rural counties.
Rural Hospital Training and Technical Assistance Center (RHTAC)
No-cost technical assistance for rural hospitals on finances and sustainability.
Electronic Medical Record Access for Pharmacies
EMR tools and training so pharmacists can work under an expanded scope of practice.
Healthier Ohio Initiatives
Community-wide chronic disease prevention that links medical care with healthy behaviors.
Recipients by initiative are in Ohio's section of the RHTP Year One Report.
Source documents
Ohio'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 an Ohio solicitation.
PDFODHOhio RHT Program Project NarrativeThe full plan from ODH, including all nine initiatives and Ohio's policy commitments.PDFODHOhio RHT Program ProposalODH's executive summary of the plan.PDFCMSCMS 50-State SpotlightsCMS's short profile of each state's program, including Ohio's.PDFCMSCMS State Project AbstractsEach state's own summary, side by side.
County of focus (73)Other counties (15)
Eligibility
Which Ohio counties are eligible for RHTP funding?
Ohio's plan focuses on 73 of the state's 88 counties that are fully rural or have a significant rural footprint, home to more than 4.4 million residents. Each solicitation states its own geographic requirements, and some are limited to those counties.
View ODH's counties of focus map →How to apply
How can Ohio providers apply for RHTP funding?
Ohio providers apply through competitive solicitations from the Ohio Department of Health, posted on its Solicitation Invitations page and on OhioBuys, the state's procurement site. 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 nine.
- Watch for new rounds.Join the ODH RHT listserv, and check Solicitation Invitations and OhioBuys.
- 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 ODH directly.Email RuralHealthTransformation@odh.ohio.gov.
Federal terms
Four rules that shape every award
Federal terms follow the money down to every Ohio 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 Ohio's RHTP funding pay for?
Ohio's RHTP funding can pay for work on existing facilities, uncovered care, technology and administration, within federal caps on each use. Applied to Ohio's Year 1 award, the maximums are:
Capital and infrastructure20% of award
About $40.4M
Provider payments15% of award
About $30.3M
Administrative costs10% of award
About $20.2M
Rural Tech Catalyst Fund10% or $20M, whichever is less
$20.0M
Replacing an existing EMR system5% of award
About $10.1M
Provider payments and capital
Provider payments cover services insurance doesn't pay for, quality bonuses and outcome-based payments tied to Ohio'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
Ohio's policy commitments carry deadlines
Ohio committed to five policy actions in its application. One is done. CMS can reduce or recover funding if the rest slip.
SNAP sugary drink restriction
Exclude sugar-sweetened beverages from SNAP purchases
In effect October 1, 2026Pharmacist prescribing
Pass a law letting pharmacists prescribe based on point-of-care tests
House Bill 629 introduced December 2025Nutrition education for physicians
Require nutrition continuing medical education by regulation
Presidential Fitness Test
Require schools to bring back the Presidential Fitness Test
EMS licensure compact
Pursue joining the EMS Personnel Licensure Interstate Compact
Ohio already belongs to the physician, nurse, psychology and physician assistant 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 Ohio's spending data
Use the numbers in Ohio'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 Ohio 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 Ohio'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 Ohio announcements
CMS announces $92 million for rural care networks and innovation hubs, maternal care, and equipment and facility upgrades at 22 rural hospitals.
CMS announces $3.15 million to connect rural pharmacies to patient records and to OARRS, Ohio's prescription drug monitoring program.
Ohio's Controlling Board releases the state's Year 1 RHTP funding, about $202 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
- Jul 31, 2026End of the first CMS reporting window; Year One Report spending data runs through this date
- Oct 30, 2026Budget Period 1 ends
- Nov 30, 2026Quarterly reports due; CMS refreshes funding data
- Dec 31, 2027Pharmacist prescribing deadline
- Dec 31, 2028Nutrition education and fitness test deadlines
- 2030Final year of the five-year program
Implications
What this means
For rural hospitals
Networks and innovation hubs drew Ohio's largest announced award, and upgrades at 22 rural hospitals are funded. Watch for the next ODH rounds and for the Rural Hospital Training and Technical Assistance Center, which offers no-cost help on finances and sustainability.
For partners and vendors
Ohio has routed early awards through public institutions, associations and regional networks. Partnering with those intermediaries is one route in, alongside direct ODH solicitations. Workforce, maternal health, pharmacy connectivity and rural networks are the most active lanes.
For applicants and grantees
Build tracking for the metrics Ohio reports to CMS before an award lands. Subrecipients can't opt out of reporting, and their results feed Ohio's annual rescoring.
FAQ
Ohio RHTP FAQs
Who runs Ohio's Rural Health Transformation Program?
The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) runs Ohio's Rural Health Transformation Program, using federal funding from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). ODH manages the state's plan, posts funding opportunities and answers questions at RuralHealthTransformation@odh.ohio.gov. The program is Ohio's share of the $50 billion federal Rural Health Transformation Program.
How much RHTP funding did Ohio receive?
Ohio received $202,030,262 for Year 1 of the Rural Health Transformation Program, 25th of 50 states. Every state got $100 million in baseline funding, and the rest of Ohio's award was based on its rural needs, its policy commitments and the strength of its plan. Later years depend on Ohio's progress.
Can Ohio RHTP funding pay for construction?
No. RHTP funds can't pay for new construction, demolition or major expansions. Up to 20% of Ohio's award each year, about $40.4 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 Ohio 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 Ohio's plan, up to 15% of the award each year, about $30.3 million in Year 1. They can't raise rates for services providers already bill.
Where can I see how Ohio is spending its RHTP funding?
The RHTP Year One Report tracks how much of Ohio'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 $92 million in October 2026 for rural care networks, maternal care and upgrades at 22 rural hospitals, will appear after the next CMS refresh.
The Alliance
RHT Alliance members serving Ohio
These RHT Alliance members serve Ohio providers, with support that spans virtual care, remote monitoring, data and IT, patient and family education, facility upgrades, legal counsel and grant writing.
Azalea HealthCloud EHR and billing with AI-assisted charting for rural hospitals and clinics.
Brennan Manna Diamond (BMD Law)Healthcare regulatory, compliance and transaction counsel.
CorstrataTelehealth access to board-certified wound, ostomy and continence nurses.
Epiphany Management Group24/7 U.S.-based customer care, contact center and device logistics.
Equum MedicalTelehealth-enabled physician coverage across specialties.
GHC IndustriesProject management and funding coordination for large transformation initiatives.
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.
Next Generation ConstructionConstruction for healthcare facility upgrades.
Re-SourcesIT infrastructure, installation and lifecycle management.
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.
University HospitalsExperience designing and scaling virtual nursing and clinical workflows.
VitalChatVirtual nursing and continuous audio and video care across hospitals.
WebMD IgniteMedically reviewed patient education and outreach, including its HEART rural program.Follow Ohio's money as it moves
The RHTP Year One Report tracks obligations, initiatives and recipients for all 50 states after each CMS data release.