Program Overview
New Hampshire was awarded $204 million from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to implement the first year of its five-year Rural Health Transformation (RHT) plan. The State’s RHT plan is administered by the Governor’s Office of New Opportunities and Rural Transformational Health (GO-NORTH). GO-NORTH contracted with the Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA) to invest more than $40 million per year through the Rural Community Health Infrastructure Program, which will provide resources to nonprofit organizations and municipalities to support infrastructure improvements to health and community facilities across the State.
This guide is designed to support the Request for Eligibility Determination (RED) process, which serves as the first step in applying to the Rural Community Health Infrastructure Program. Detailed documentation and additional requirements will be collected during the full application stage.
Program Objectives
The Rural Community Health Infrastructure Program (RCHIP) is a competitive program that will invest funds to rehabilitate rural health infrastructure that is included in and aligned with the initiatives and outcomes committed to in GO-NORTH’s plan. The Program will also provide technical assistance to prospective applicants and awardees to help facilitate successful implementation, from grant application through project completion.
Budget Period 1 investments focus on targeted renovations and infrastructure improvements, including:
- Renovations at county-run nursing home facilities to reduce hospital discharge barriers and increase community access to care.
- Renovations at community mental health centers and federally qualified health centers to support the NH RHT plan goals.
- Renovations to establish or expand childcare capacity within eligible health facilities to support healthcare workforce recruitment and retention.
- Renovations to existing buildings to house ambulances to expand Emergency Medical Service (EMS) capacity in rural areas.
CDFA will also develop additional investment opportunities for GO-NORTH funding that support minor renovations and infrastructure improvements that advance other Rural Health Transformation Program goals to make rural New Hampshire healthier.
