Utah Healthcare Leaders Join Colleagues in Washington at RHTP Summit
The Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) is moving forward, connecting rural providers to resources that will help them update and expand their practices. UTN’s representative participated in a nationwide summit this month to connect with other agencies overseeing this project in their states.
The 2026 Rural Health Transformation Program Summit, hosted by the Health Policy Futures Lab, took place on June 9, 2026, in Washington, DC. The gathering united state RHTP directors, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) leadership, health system executives, and policy experts who focused on aligning new federal and state RHTP investments with long-term revenue strategies to drive rural healthcare access, workforce pipelines, and tech infrastructure.
UTN’s RHTP Director, Sarah Bauman, said, “Attending the RHTP Summit was an invaluable opportunity to connect with state and national leaders who are shaping the future of rural healthcare. Representing Utah and the LIFT (Leveraging Innovation for Facilitated Telehealth) Initiative, I was proud to share how our state intends to leverage innovation to expand access via telehealth and build durable systems that meet the needs of rural, frontier, and Tribal residents. The Summit made clear that when states collaborate and learn from one another, we accelerate meaningful progress for the people we serve.”
Utah’s RHTP currently has several open funding opportunities, with more forecasted to open in the coming months. These programs offer rural providers the opportunity to access funds to update and expand their practices in a variety of ways. The Utah Department of Health and Human Services produced a webinar, accessible online, explaining the grant process.
The LIFT Initiative is Utah’s statewide effort, funded by RHTP, to expand access to high‑quality physical and behavioral healthcare in rural, frontier, and Tribal communities. Through coordinated, data-driven investments in telehealth infrastructure, technology, care coordination, workflow redesign, digital training, and more, LIFT will strengthen local care delivery and reduce the travel burden for residents who face some of the longest distances to specialty care in the nation. Led by UTN, the initiative supports providers with technical assistance, funding opportunities, and implementation guidance to ensure telehealth solutions are reliable, sustainable, and aligned with community needs.
Breakout discussions, such as this one at the Tech Catalyst Fund table, helped rural healthcare leaders connect with peers from around the country.
Sarah Bauman stands with Paul Samargedlis, Head of Partnerships at Telehealth.org