DHS Seeks Feedback on Commonwealth’s Rural Health Transformation Plan
Thank you for your participation in Pennsylvania’s rural health ecosystem, including those who attended a regional rural health summit. As a next step, DHS is gathering information, concepts, and additional ideas to shape the Commonwealth’s Rural Health Transformation Plan and reflect what they heard from rural providers, partners, and residents.
What DHS is asking for:
- Information and concepts in these summit-affirmed areas: Maternal Health, Mental and Behavioral Health, Aging and Access, Transportation and EMS, and the Rural Healthcare Workforce.
- Other ideas that improve access to care in rural communities, even if they fall outside those five areas.
Who can submit:
- Hospitals and health systems;
- Healthcare professionals;
- FQHCs and rural health clinics;
- State offices of rural health;
- Grantees providing services in rural areas;
- Healthcare leadership and administrators;
- Healthcare consumers;
- Community action organizations;
- Public and private business owners and organizations;
- EMS and transportation providers;
- Behavioral health, aging, and disability services partners, county commissioners, and other local or state government representatives, single county authorities, economic development organizations, professional organizations, community-based and faith-based organizations, philanthropy, and higher education and health provider training partners; and
- Other interested parties.
What to include:
Information to assist DHS in enhancing and transforming rural health, including core concepts, target problems, or opportunities for improvement, intended impact and success metrics, evidence or prior experiences, feasibility of ideas for rural settings, partners, costs and resources, innovation or adaptation, and sustainability.
Submit by: August 29, 2025
Find the Form Here
Questions or Accessibility Needs: Email
DHS may use the information gathered through this process in the development of future implementation; however, the Departments do not guarantee that this will occur.
Respondents should be aware that the responses will be public information and that no claims of confidentiality will be honored. DHS is not requesting, and does not require, confidential, proprietary information, or other competitively sensitive information to be included as part of a submission. Ownership of all data, material and documentation originated, prepared, and provided to the Departments during this process will belong exclusively to the Departments.
Please contact your RCPA Policy Director with any questions.
