A referral for healthcare or community services only works if a person successfully connects with the help they need. North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) is investing in a statewide planning effort to make those connections easier and strengthen care coordination for rural North Dakotans.
Applications are now open for the Coordinating and Connecting Care funding opportunity through the North Dakota Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP). Approximately $1 million in federal funding is available for a single Year 1 planning grant focused on improving how healthcare providers, community organizations and other partners coordinate services and referrals.
The planning effort will bring together rural healthcare providers, community-based and volunteer organizations, patients, payers, tribal partners and other stakeholders to identify what's working, where gaps exist and how organizations can better communicate and coordinate care across the state.
“When someone is referred for help, we want to make it easier for organizations to work together and know that person was actually connected to the care or service they needed. This is about building a better, more coordinated experience for North Dakotans,” said HHS Commissioner Pat Traynor.
One area the project will explore is a future community information exchange and closed-loop referral system. Such a system could allow authorized organizations to securely send and track referrals and confirm whether people successfully connected with services. The Year 1 grant is for planning only and will not fund implementation of a statewide system.
The funding opportunity supports Initiative 3: Bring High-Quality Healthcare Closer to Home, one of four strategic initiatives within the North Dakota Rural Health Transformation Program.
Eligible applicants include organizations with experience in areas such as care coordination, health information exchange, community services, interoperability, data governance, stakeholder engagement or statewide planning. Partnerships and consortia may also apply, with an eligible organization designated as the lead applicant.
Applications are due by 5 p.m. CT on Aug. 26, 2026. A technical assistance call for prospective applicants will be held from noon to 12:45 p.m. CT on Aug. 12.
Additional information, eligibility requirements and application materials are available at hhs.nd.gov/rural-health-transformation/funding.
The North Dakota Rural Health Transformation Program is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as part of a financial assistance award totaling $198,936,969.55, with 100% funded by CMS. The contents are those of North Dakota Health and Human Services and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, CMS, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or the U.S. government.