Photo Information
Rural Health Transformation Program Stakeholder Advisory Committee meeting. Photo courtesy of DPHHS.
Contact:
DPHHS: Jon Ebelt, Communications Director, (406) 444-0936, (406) 461-3757, jebelt@mt.gov
HELENA, MT — The Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) announced today that it is seeking qualified individuals to serve on the 20-member Montana Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) Center of Excellence (CoE) Advisory Council.
“It’s vital that we have the right voices at the table to help steer funding to stabilize rural facilities,” DPHHS Director Charlie Brereton said. “By balancing frontline rural experience with technical subject-matter expertise, this council will ensure our sustainability strategies are both data-driven and deeply rooted in the unique needs of our state’s diverse communities. We are looking for leaders who are committed to building a sustainable, high-quality care delivery system that will benefit Montanans for generations.”
The purpose of the Advisory Council is to develop recommendations to align care delivery services with rural health needs at the county, tribal, and facility level, in accordance with Montana’s federally approved RHTP plan. These recommendations will help facilities improve financial sustainability and ensure continued access to critical health services in rural Montana.
The Department aims to balance rural health experience with subject-matter expertise to ensure a diverse and qualified, representative engagement from a broad range of stakeholders.
The 20-member voting council will be supported by five additional non-voting representatives.
The Department is launching a competitive application process to fill 15 of the positions on the Council across seven distinct categories. Several of these categories will be filled by more than one appointee.
Applications are being accepted for the following slots:
Rural Health Care Consumer
Rural Primary Care Clinician
Tribal Health Representative
Prospective Payment System (PPS) Hospitals
Independent Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) / Rural Emergency Hospitals (REH)
Affiliated CAH or REH Facilities (owned by or affiliated with a PPS hospital)
Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC)
To complete the Council, Director Brereton will appoint the remaining 10 members, five of whom will be non-voting.
Individuals interested in shaping Montana’s rural health care landscape are encouraged to complete the CoE Advisory Council Application. Detailed application instructions and further information regarding the RHTP can be found on the DPHHS website ruralhealth.mt.gov. The application window opens April 30 and closes at 11:59 p.m. on May 22, 2026.
The RHTP is backed by a historic $233 million federal investment in its first year, with potential funding reaching up to $1.2 billion over five years. The Advisory Council offers a unique opportunity for stakeholders to help advise the future of rural health care delivery across the state.
The Rural Health Transformation Program is supported by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $233,509,358.76 with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CMS/HHS, or the U.S. Government.
Tags: News and Rural Health Transformation Program