Lift Initiative

Utah’s Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) is a long-term statewide initiative led by the Utah Department of Health and Human Services and supported by a $195.7 million first-year award from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Guided by a vision to improve health outcomes, strengthen rural healthcare infrastructure, expand access to care, develop a sustainable healthcare workforce, and advance innovation through technology, the program invests in seven strategic initiatives designed to ensure Utah’s rural health systems remain financially sustainable and responsive to community needs.

The LIFT Initiative (Leveraging Innovation for Facilitated Telehealth) is one of these seven initiatives and focuses on expanding access to high-quality physical and behavioral healthcare in rural and underserved communities. Through LIFT, Utah is investing in scalable telehealth infrastructure, innovative care models, and data-driven strategies that reduce travel burdens, shorten wait times, and increase access to services.

As Utah’s trusted connectivity and telehealth partner, the Utah Telehealth Network (UTN) leads implementation of the LIFT Initiative by coordinating statewide planning, supporting rural healthcare providers, managing grant and technical assistance programs, and ensuring that telehealth solutions are reliable, secure, and sustainable. UTN works closely with the Telehealth Alliance Steering Committee, community partners, and healthcare organizations to strengthen Utah’s telehealth ecosystem and improve health outcomes for all Utahns.

LIFT Goals

By 2030, the LIFT Initiative aims to achieve the following outcomes across rural Utah:

25%

increase in the types of specialties available via telehealth in rural communities

Measurable

increase in telehealth-enabled sites, including hospitals, clinics, schools, and community access points

50%

increase in access to telehealth services among rural patients

50%

increase in telehealth utilization among rural patients

10%

reduction in rural patients waiting more than 90 days for healthcare or specialty appointments

10%

reduction in rural patients traveling more than 30 minutes for routine care

How to be part of the LIFT Initiative

To focus funding on the LIFT Initiative goals, UTN has outlined five project tracks. Projects must serve one or more of Utah’s 25 rural counties and may address a single track or a combination of tracks.

TRACK A

Telehealth Infrastructure & Access

Foundational telehealth equipment and access points, such as telehealth carts and room kits, patient-facing devices, connectivity solutions, and community access points in schools, libraries, and senior centers.

TRACK B

Telehealth Care Models & Virtual Services

Implementation or expansion of telehealth clinical services, such as virtual nursing, tele-behavioral health, tele-specialty hub-and-spoke partnerships, tele-ED and tele-hospitalist support, and hybrid care models.

TRACK C

Remote Patient Monitoring & Digital Care

Digital tools that extend care beyond the clinic, such as chronic disease RPM programs, wearables for high-risk patients, maternal health monitoring, and post-discharge virtual care pathways.

TRACK D

Care Coordination & Digital Navigation

Systems and workforce that connect patients to care, such as care coordination platforms, closed-loop referral systems, digital navigators, and SDOH screening integration.

TRACK E

Training & Technical Assistance

Workforce readiness and sustainability, such as telehealth workflow redesign, coding and billing training, provider competency training, and change management support.

Apply for Funding

The Utah Telehealth Network invites eligible organizations to apply for LIFT funding to expand and sustain telehealth services in rural Utah.

LIFT Initiative Application

Additional Resources

LIFT - Request for Funding Application (RFA)

LIFT - RFA Technical Assistance Webinar recording

Utah Rural Health Transformation Program

The LIFT Initiative is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the Rural Health Transformation Program, through a subaward from the Utah Department of Health and Human Services to the Utah Education and Telehealth Network (UETN), as part of a financial assistance award totaling $26,500,000 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.