Applications for Missouri’s Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) Horizon 2 funding have now closed, marking the next step in the state’s ongoing implementation of the five-year RHTP initiative. As Missouri begins moving beyond the Horizon 2 application period, attention is turning toward Horizon 3 and the opportunities it may bring to rural healthcare providers.
 

Joe Miller, director of Missouri’s Rural Health Transformation Office within MO HealthNet, discussed the next phase of RHTP implementation during the 2026 Missouri Rural Health Conference. Miller briefly addressed Horizon 3 funding and noted that expanded opportunities for healthcare providers are expected as the program moves into its next phase. The Missouri Department of Senior Services (DSS) RHTP webpage is also expected to go undergo a large update in the near future. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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While specific Horizon 3 funding guidelines have not yet been released, Missouri’s RHTP planning materials identify Horizon 3 as a 2027 initiative focused on transformative and future-facing projects. The goal is to help rural healthcare organizations reimagine infrastructure in ways that support innovation, training, and new capabilities. Examples outlined by the state include telehealth coordination spaces that could connect providers and community partners with additional resources.

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This represents a shift from the focus of Horizon 2, which supported “smart growth” and service-line modification, with funding intended to help providers right-size access to care by renovating underused facilities and adapting them for high-demand services. Examples included improvements to emergency and diagnostic facilities and repurposing existing space for behavioral health services.

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Horizon 3 is expected to build on this foundation with a greater emphasis on longer-term transformation. Missouri’s RHTP materials identify several areas that could support this broader effort, including remote patient monitoring, ambient artificial intelligence, technology modernization and infrastructure designed to support new models of care.
 

For Rural Health Clinics, the upcoming phase will be worth watching closely. RHCs are specifically identified among the clinical providers participating in Missouri’s RHTP initiatives, alongside Federally Qualified Health Centers, Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, EMS, pharmacies and other rural healthcare partners.
 

Although the details of Horizon 3 funding opportunities have not yet been finalized, the anticipated 2027 rollout provides RHCs with an opportunity to begin considering how future-facing investments could support their organizations and the communities they serve. Potential areas may include technology, care coordination, infrastructure, workforce development and expanded or redesigned services, depending on the final program structure.
 

MARHC will continue monitoring Missouri’s RHTP implementation and will share additional information as Horizon 3 guidance and funding opportunities become available.