Promotion of Rural NASN program

Dear Members,

We wanted to make you aware of a new federal funding opportunity that may have direct implications for school health and the school nursing workforce in rural areas: the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program.

This program is part of CMS's broader effort to strengthen rural health infrastructure, modernize care delivery, and enhance access to essential health services in rural communities. The RHT Program will fund state-level initiatives that support community partnerships, workforce development, and new care models that align with value-based care.

While this funding is directed to state entities (e.g., state Medicaid agencies or public health departments), school nurses can and should be part of those state-level planning and implementation teams. There is a clear opportunity for school nursing to be integrated as part of the rural health transformation and workforce infrastructure.

I encourage you to:

1. Review the CMS program overview: www.cms.gov/priorities/...
2. Reach out to your state Medicaid agency or Department of Health to inquire whether your state plans to apply or has expressed interest in this opportunity.
3. Let NASN know if your affiliate or any of your partners are already aware of or involved in conversations about this program.

NASN is currently reviewing how our national programs, particularly those focused on school nurse workforce, mental health, and school-based care coordination, align with CMS's goals around access, equity, and integrated rural health delivery. We will explore whether NASN could support or partner on at least one state application as a technical assistance or workforce development partner.

Please reply in this community (reply all to email) by or reach out to me to share any information about activity in your state or connections we should be aware of.

This could be an important opportunity to elevate the visibility and value of school nurses in rural health transformation-and to ensure our voice is part of the conversation as states move forward.

Thank you for your leadership and engagement.

Warm regards,
Kim

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Kim Granados
Chief Program Officer
National Association of School Nurses
Springfield, VA United States