Rural Health Transformation Program - The State of New Mexico Health Care Authority (HCA) is proud to present the State of New Mexico’s Rural Health Transformation Plan. New Mexico is ready to lead a bold transformation of rural health – one that expands access, strengthens outcomes, and ensures lasting equity for rural, frontier, and tribal communities. Through frontier ingenuity, data-driven innovation, and community partnership, we will build a resilient system that sustains local providers, empowers families, and redefines what it means to deliver quality care in every corner of the State. New Mexico Rural Health Transformation Plan – Initiative Summary 1. Healthy Horizons: Expanding Access to Care in Rural Communities - 5-Year Budget: $393,290,280 - State Goal / CMS Goal: Expand Access to Care / Make Rural America Healthy Again - Summary: Strengthen specialty care and chronic disease management for high-risk rural populations by implementing regionalized specialty and maternal care networks, provider training, and remote care technologies to expand access, improve local capacity, and reduce hospital readmissions for rural community members. 2. Rooted in New Mexico: Building Tomorrow’s Rural Health Workforce - 5-Year Budget: $243,166,440 - State Goal / CMS Goal: Expand and Sustain Rural Health Care Workforce / Workforce Development - Summary: Build and sustain a rural and tribal health workforce by expanding local career pathways, strengthening clinical training pipelines and educational opportunities, and supporting long-term retention through housing, mentorship, and community-based incentives. 3. Rural Health Innovation Fund: Enabling Community-Designed, Community-Led Change - 5-Year Budget: $187,508,220 - State Goal / CMS Goal: Support Community-Led Rural Health Solutions / Make Rural America Healthy Again - Summary: Launch a competitive grant program that empowers rural, frontier, and tribal communities in New Mexico to design and lead locally tailored health initiatives addressing unique challenges such as preventive care, behavioral health, non-medical drivers of health, and provider facility needs. 4. Bridge to Resilience: Rural Health Sustainability & Innovation Center - 5-Year Budget: $122,644,440 - State Goal / CMS Goal: Stabilize and Sustain Rural Health Care Providers / Sustainable Access - Summary: Establish a Rural Health Sustainability & Innovation Center to deliver tailored technical assistance, provider education, and operational support that strengthens financial stability, fosters regional partnerships, and equips rural New Mexico’s providers to navigate long-term challenges and improve care delivery. 5. Rural Health Data Hub: Establishing a Health Analytics Platform - 5-Year Budget: $53,390,620 - State Goal / CMS Goal: Connect Community Members with Health Care Data / Tech Innovation - Summary: Build a statewide health analytics platform that integrates siloed data sources to improve rural health planning, enable predictive insights, and expand transparent access to timely, actionable information for providers, policymakers, and communities.
