Rural Health Transformation
Collaborative
Zoom-Based Learning and Action Series for Rural and Under-Resourced Communities
Program Kickoff on February 16, 2026 at 3:00PM EST
Every 3rd Friday at 3:00PM EST
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Series Overview
The Rural Health Transformation Collaborative is a 12-month, Zoom-based learning and action series designed for Healthcare Executives and professionals serving rural and under-resourced geographic areas.
Each 90-minute monthly session combines practical content, real-world case examples, and peer problem-solving focused on the realities of delivering care with limited staff, funding, and infrastructure.
Participants will gain skills, tools, and relationships to implement new strategies between sessions and bring feedback and lessons learned back to their rural health peers. Over the year, teams will build a portfolio of practical, rural-ready strategies that can be spread within their organizations and communities.
Schedule (13 Sessions)
Rural Health Transformation Collaborative Kickoff: Introductions & Orientation
February 16, 2026
3:00–4:00 PM ET
This one-hour kickoff session will introduce the Rural Health Transformation Collaborative, its goals, structure, and expectations for participating organizations. Leaders and team members from rural and under-resourced communities will have an opportunity to introduce themselves, share their priorities, and begin forming peer connections. Participants will gain clarity on how monthly sessions, tests-of-change, and peer feedback will work over the year so they can prepare their teams for success.
Learning Objectives
Introduce participating organizations, roles, and rural service areas to build trust and peer connection.
Review the Collaborative’s goals, schedule, topic areas, and expectations for participation and implementation.
Identify one initial focus area or challenge each organization wants to work on during the first quarter of the Collaborative.
Strengthening Rural Care Management and Home Visit Models
February 23, 2026
3:00–4:00 PM ET
Care Management and home visiting programs are foundational for improving outcomes in rural communities, but they often operate with limited staff, long distances, and competing priorities. This session focuses on designing or refining rural Care Management models, including caseload design, role clarity, and when and how to use home visits most effectively. Participants will gain tools and sample workflows to align Care Management and home visiting resources with the highest-need populations.
Learning Objectives
Define the core roles and responsibilities of Care Managers, Community Health Workers, and home visiting staff in rural care models.
Use data on risk, utilization, and Social Drivers of Health to prioritize members for Care Management and home visits.
Design safe, efficient home visit workflows that account for geography, staffing, and safety considerations.
Outline a simple Care Management scorecard including outcome, utilization, and experience measures.
Coordinating Care with Large Hospital Systems and Regional Partners
March 30, 2026
3:00–4:00 PM ET
Many rural organizations rely on large hospital systems and regional centers for specialty and acute care, yet coordination across organizations is often fragmented. This session explores practical approaches to building stronger relationships, clarifying roles, and improving information flow among rural providers and their referral partners. Participants will gain frameworks and tools to strengthen transitions, shared care planning, and two-way communication with larger systems.
Learning Objectives
Map current referral and transfer patterns between rural organizations and large hospital systems or regional centers.
Identify gaps in communication, shared information, and care planning during transitions to and from regional partners.
Develop or refine a coordination plan that includes points of contact, communication pathways, and shared care plan elements.
Select one high-priority transition (e.g., post-hospital discharge) and outline a test-of- change to improve coordination.
Leveraging Networks to Improve Access to Specialty Care in Rural Communities
April 27, 2026
3:00–4:00 PM ET
Rural residents often face long travel times, extended wait lists, and limited options for specialty care. This session explores practical models for improving access, including hub-and-spoke networks, visiting specialists, Telehealth consults, and partnerships with academic and large health systems. Participants will gain tools to map existing resources, identify gaps, and build a realistic plan for expanding specialty access in their service areas.
Learning Objectives
Identify common barriers to accessing specialty care for rural populations and how they impact outcomes and equity.
Compare different specialty access models (e-consults, visiting clinics, Telehealth, regional networks) and assess which fit local context.
Draft a simple action plan to strengthen specialty care access through new partnerships, workflows, and technology.
Addressing Social Drivers of Health in Rural Settings
May 25, 2026
3:00–4:00 PM ET
Social Drivers of Health such as transportation, broadband access, housing, food security, and employment look different in rural communities compared with urban settings. This session focuses on practical ways to screen, document, and respond to Social Drivers of Health using limited resources and strong local relationships. Participants will gain frameworks and tools to prioritize needs, build community partnerships, and track impact over time.
Learning Objectives
Describe how Social Drivers of Health uniquely affect rural patients and caregivers across the lifespan.
Design workflows for screening, documenting, and acting on Social Drivers of Health in clinics, emergency departments, and community settings.
Outline a partnership and referral map that connects health care organizations with key rural community and faith-based resources.
Telehealth That Works for Rural Patients and Clinicians
June 29, 2026
3:00–4:00 PM ET
Telehealth can expand access in rural areas—but only if it is designed around local infrastructure, broadband realities, and patient preferences. This session reviews Telehealth models, regulatory considerations, and practical steps to make virtual care reliable, equitable, and sustainable for rural teams. Participants will gain checklists and sample workflows to strengthen Telehealth scheduling, visit execution, documentation, and follow-up.
Learning Objectives
Identify key operational, clinical, and technology factors that influence Telehealth success in rural communities.
Develop Telehealth workflows that address connectivity challenges, digital literacy needs,and cultural preferences.
Create a simple Telehealth performance dashboard focused on access, quality, equity, and patient experience.
Building Rural Health Technology Infrastructure That Fits the Environment
July 27, 2026
3:00–4:00 PM ET
Rural organizations often juggle multiple technology systems with limited IT staff, budget, and support. This session explores pragmatic ways to align EHRs, Care Management platforms, Telehealth solutions, and data tools with the realities of rural operations. Participants will gain a framework to prioritize technology investments, maximize existing tools, and plan for staged upgrades over time.
Learning Objectives
Assess current health technology assets and gaps across clinical, Care Management, and administrative functions.
Prioritize a short list of high-value technology improvements that are feasible in a rural context.
Develop a phased roadmap for technology optimization that aligns with strategic goals, staffing, and financial constraints.
Using Digital Tools to Strengthen Patient Engagement in Rural Communities
August 31, 2026
3:00–4:00 PM ET
Engaging rural patients and families often requires a blend of high-touch relationships and smart use of digital tools. This session focuses on practical approaches to texting, patient portals, remote monitoring, and automated outreach that respect local culture and connectivity limitations. Participants will gain examples, scripts, and templates to strengthen ongoing communication and self-management support.
Learning Objectives
Describe common barriers and facilitators to digital engagement for rural patients and caregivers.
Select digital tools and communication channels that align with local broadband, device access, and literacy levels.
Design a simple patient engagement campaign that uses digital tools to support prevention, chronic disease management, or follow-up.
Supporting and Strengthening Family Caregivers in Rural Health Systems
September 28, 2026
3:00–4:00 PM ET
Family caregivers in rural communities often provide complex care with minimal formal support, training, or respite. This session highlights strategies to identify caregivers, assess theirneeds, and build practical supports through education, Care Management, Telehealth, andcommunity resources. Participants will gain tools to integrate caregiver support into routine visits, discharge planning, and home-based care.
Learning Objectives
Identify the roles and challenges of family caregivers in rural communities across differentconditions and settings.
Design workflows for systematically identifying caregivers, assessing caregiver needs, and documenting them in the record.
Develop at least one new caregiver support strategy (e.g., training sessions, resource guides,peer support, Telehealth check-ins) to test in the next quarter.
Planning for Emergencies and Time-Sensitive Care in Rural Areas
October 26, 2026
3:00–4:00 PM ET
When emergencies and time-sensitive conditions occur in rural areas, distance, weather, and resource constraints can turn minutes into life-or-death decisions. This session focuses on planning for medical emergencies and surgeries, including protocols for stabilization, transport, and coordination with receiving facilities. Participants will gain tools to review their currentemergency pathways and identify targeted improvements for rural patients.
Learning Objectives
Map existing emergency and time-sensitive care pathways for key conditions (e.g., trauma, stroke, STEMI, obstetric emergencies).
Identify gaps and bottlenecks in communication, transport, and surgical planning for rural patients.
Develop an improvement plan that includes clear roles, escalation criteria, and communication processes with regional partners.
The Role of Skilled Nursing, LTSS, and Assisted Living in Rural Care Continuums
November 30, 2026
3:00–4:00 PM ET
Skilled Nursing Facilities, Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS), and Assisted Living communities are critical parts of the rural care continuum. This session examines how these settings can partner with hospitals, clinics, and community organizations to support safe transitions, chronic care, and end-of-life care. Participants will gain strategies for strengthening collaboration, information-sharing, and Care Management across these settings.
Learning Objectives
Describe the unique contributions and constraints of Skilled Nursing, LTSS, and AssistedLiving facilities in rural areas.
Identify opportunities to improve care transitions, medication management, and ongoing communication across settings.
Outline at least one collaborative project or process improvement to test with a Skilled Nursing, LTSS, or Assisted Living partner.
Building Rural Health Collaborations
December 28, 2026
3:00–4:00 PM ET
No single organization can meet all rural health needs; collaboration is essential. This session focuses on building effective partnerships among hospitals, clinics, public health, BehavioralHealth, emergency services, schools, faith communities, and community-based organizations. Participants will gain a practical blueprint for convening partners, clarifying roles, and tracking shared impact across rural networks.
Learning Objectives
Map key health and community partners in a rural service area and identify current collaboration strengths and gaps.
Develop clear roles, communication channels, and shared priorities for a rural health collaborative or workgroup.
Design a simple, shared measurement approach to track progress on one or two joint initiatives.
Improving Behavioral Health Access in Rural Communities
January 25, 2027
3:00–4:00 PM ET
Behavioral Health needs in rural communities are significant, while local resources are often scarce or fragmented. This session explores practical strategies such as integrated care, Tele-Behavioral Health, peer support, and creative partnerships to expand access and reduce stigma. Participants will gain tools to assess Behavioral Health gaps, prioritize actions, and align scarce resources for maximum impact.
Learning Objectives
Describe common Behavioral Health access challenges in rural areas and their impact onpatients, families, and staff.
Compare different models for expanding Behavioral Health services, including integration into primary care and Tele-Behavioral Health.
Develop a targeted plan to address one Behavioral Health gap using existing or newly developed partnerships and workflows.
Monthly Sessions • February 2026 – January 2027
3:00–4:00 PM ET • Monthly Sessions: 3:00–4:30 PM ET
Doubletree by Hilton Doha - Al Sadd
Who Should Attend
Rural Hospital and Critical Access Hospital Executives (CEOs, COOs, CFOs)
Rural Clinic, FQHC, and Rural Health Clinic Leaders
Care Managers, Care Coordinators, and Community Health Workers serving rural populations
Population Health, Quality, and Value-Based Care Leaders
Physician, APP, Nursing, and Behavioral Health Leaders
Leaders from Skilled Nursing Facilities, LTSS, and Assisted Living serving rural communities
Health Plan, ACO, and Clinically Integrated Network Leaders focused on rural markets
Health IT, Telehealth, and Digital Health Leaders supporting rural sites
Each guest will receive
Free valet parking
Breakfast
Lunch Buffet
Host
Robert Granger III,
President
