Granite Strong. Future Ready. - PROJECT SUMMARY Organization Name: New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Subrecipients/Sub-Awardees: Foundation for Healthy Communities, Community Behavioral Health Association, University System of New Hampshire, Community College System of New Hampshire and the New Hampshire Department of Education, Community Development Finance Authority, NH Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors, as well as competitive bids. Total Budget: $1,000,000,000 Project Purpose and Goals: DHHS through CMS’ Rural Health Transformation Program proposes to meet the needs of its rural communities. To achieve this goal, New Hampshire has a bold vision for its Rural Health Transformation Plan (RHTP) (that aligns with the elements of the authorizing statute) – healthy and thriving rural New Hampshire communities where residents have access to high-quality, affordable care close to home – supported by resilient local hospitals and providers, a stable local workforce, and data-driven, technology to enable secure care models that promote higher levels of coordination and continuity of care, and value-based payment mechanisms that incentivize prevention, and team-based care. DHHS is proposing the following goals for this project: 1) Make rural NH healthier through evidence-based, outcomes-driven interventions to improve disease prevention, chronic disease management, behavioral health and perinatal care; 2) Create sustainable long-term access to care for rural residents through transformational care models and partnerships that allow rural facilities and clinicians to work with primary care, specialty care, and EMS providers to coordinate operations, sharing technology and resources; 3) Attract, train, and retain a highly-skilled healthcare workforce in New Hampshire by strengthening recruitment and retention of current healthcare workers and providing opportunities for new entrants to the healthcare workforce;4) Develop innovative care models to improve health outcomes, coordinate care, and promote flexible payment arrangements; 5) Adopt innovative technologies to modernize care delivery in rural communities to promote efficiency, data security, and access to digital health tools by rural facilities, providers, and patients. Use of Funds: DHHS proposes five coordinated evidence-based initiatives to strengthen rural health across the state. The Rural Population Health Initiative will invest in team-based primary care and prevention, improve chronic disease management, and launch the state’s first Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plan to integrate services for dual enrollees for the purpose of reducing use of acute care settings to deliver care. The Rural Healthcare Access Initiative will enhance care coordination and increase access to care for prevention, primary care (medical, behavioral, and oral health), through to specialty care telehealth access at rural hospitals, scaling certified community behavioral health centers statewide, and long-term services and supports. The Rural Workforce Recruitment and Retention Initiative will develop healthcare career pathways from high school through graduate programs, build infrastructure to enable clinical learning in rural communities using simulation labs and other technology, and establish a family medicine residency program in Coos County. The Rural Health Technology Initiative will modernize care delivery with investments in digital health infrastructure, telehealth, AI tools, interoperability investments, and cybersecurity. Finally, the Rural Financial Solvency Initiative will advance value-based payment models, streamline financial operations, and sustain safety-net providers. Collectively, these initiatives will improve health by appropriately bringing care closer to home and into the rural communities.
