The first meeting of the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) Stakeholder Advisory Committee will take place this week, on Thursday, Jan. 22, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., on the Montana State University campus.

The meeting will focus on project goals and gathering public feedback, according to the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS). No funding decisions will be made. Portions of the meeting are open to the public and it will be live-streamed for public viewing on Montana PBS. If you’d like to participate or share feedback, here’s what you need to know:

Registration details

• Registration is required. As of Monday, Jan. 19, in-person attendance has reached capacity, but registration remains open for virtual participation.
• Individual hospital participation is welcome, but comment/participation will be limited to the public comment period.

Meeting details and agenda

• Some portions of the meeting will be closed to the public.
• Meeting questions and feedback for DPHHS related to the RHTP can be emailed to HHSRuralHealthTransformation@mt.gov
• The meeting is hosted by the Montana Office of Rural Health (ORH).

Established to provide initiative implementation guidance to DPHHS, the Stakeholder Advisory Committee membership includes representatives from approximately 30 statewide groups and associations, including MHA. MHA will be represented by President and CEO Ed Buttrey, along with MHREF Executive Director Shani Rich.

While no funding decisions will be made at the committee meeting, it’s anticipated that more information on funding availability, distribution, and allocation to eligible/individual facilities will follow planning work in early 2026 to finalize the program budget and implementation details. DPHHS recently provided this general funding information:

• Montana’s FY26 RHTP award of $233.5 million will be allocated to five key initiatives outlined in the State RHTP plan. This DPHHS presentation includes updated budget amounts by initiative and provides a timeline for activities during the next two quarters.
• After DPHHS receives final budget approval from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, most funds will be awarded through a competitive bidding process at bids.mt.gov.
• Other awards methods include grant applications or inter-agency contracts (e.g., with the Department of Labor & Industry). If direct funding opportunities for communities and providers become available, they will be announced at ruralhealth.mt.gov.

For more on RHTP, the latest updates, FAQs, and links to key resources, click here.