Official Site of The State of New Jersey
Transforming Rural Health in New Jersey
The New Jersey Rural Health Transformation Program will unlock opportunities for rural New Jerseyans by expanding health care access, improving health outcomes, and investing in our State's rural health care workforce.
The Impact of Transformation
The Rural Health Transformation is a five-year federal investment by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in rural New Jersey.
What counts as rural in New Jersey?
Two definitions of "rural" apply to this program, and they cover different counties. Together, they cover over one million New Jerseyans.
Health Resources and Services Administration
Federally designated rural census tracts.
137,792 residents across 40 rural census tracts in 8 countiesNew Jersey rural designation
Counties with fewer than 500 people per square mile.
1,026,026 residents across 7 rural counties| County | Federal (HRSA) | State (under 500 people per square mile) |
|---|---|---|
| Atlantic | Yes | Yes |
| Burlington | Yes | Not designated |
| Cape May | Not designated | Yes |
| Cumberland | Yes | Yes |
| Hunterdon | Yes | Yes |
| Mercer | Yes | Not designated |
| Monmouth | Yes | Not designated |
| Ocean | Yes | Not designated |
| Salem | Not designated | Yes |
| Sussex | Not designated | Yes |
| Warren | Yes | Yes |
The target population may also include facilities in rural-adjacent counties that serve a substantial portion of rural New Jerseyans, along with other health care organizations contributing to the rural health care ecosystem.
Five initiatives to transform the rural health system in New Jersey
Every funded effort is designed to be transformational and sustainable beyond the life of the grant.
Workforce Development
Recruiting, training, and retaining a highly skilled health care workforce in rural communities.
Infrastructure Development
Building stability and capacity across the rural health care ecosystem with funding for essential providers.
Technology Innovation
Promoting strategies to enhance care delivery beyond traditional brick-and-mortar settings.
Chronic Disease Control
Investing in data and dashboards, competitive community grants, and chronic disease and wellness programs.
Prevention
Funding community-level efforts to promote and deliver preventative health care.
From application to implementation
- September 2025 Funding opportunity released Complete
- November 2025 State application submitted Complete
- December 2025 Federal award announced Complete
- 2026 Subrecipient grants awarded In progress
- 2026 to 2030 Implementation and annual reporting
Frequently asked questions
What is the Rural Health Transformation Program?
The New Jersey Rural Health Transformation Program (NJRHT) is a five-year, federally funded program administered by the New Jersey Department of Human Services in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Health. NJ RHTP is supported by a $50 billion fund that was created by the enactment of P.L. 119-21 in July 2025 and is administered by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services across all 50 states. It funds work to improve chronic disease outcomes, grow the health care workforce, modernize infrastructure and technology, and strengthen preventative practices in rural communities.
Which parts of New Jersey will benefit from this program?
Individuals living in eleven counties fall within NJRHT’s target population because they reside in regions that meet the federal rural definition, the state rural definition, or both. The table above shows which definition each county (or census tracts within a county) meets.
Why are there two different definitions of rural?
The federal government and the State of New Jersey measure rurality differently. The federal definition, used by the Health Resources and Services Administration, identifies rural census tracts. New Jersey’s definition uses population density, counting areas with fewer than 500 people per square mile. Because New Jersey is densely populated overall, the two approaches produce very different pictures: roughly 138,000 residents under the federal definition, compared with more than one million under the state definition. NJRHT will support both.
How long will the program run?
The federal Rural Health Transformation Program is intended to run for five budget periods of funding. This first year of funding began December 31, 2025, and runs through October 30, 2026. Each following budget period runs from October 31 through October 30, with the final period ending October 30, 2030.
How and when can I apply for funding?
Six competitive grants for this first year of funding were announced starting in December 2025 into early 2026. Applications for that competitive funding are currently closed. Information regarding future competitive funding opportunities will be posted as they become available.
Who do I contact if I have questions?
Submit questions by email. Sub-awardees who received funding during Budget Period 1 should direct all questions regarding their award to their designated state program management officer.
Contact the program office
Have a question about the Rural Health Transformation Program? Email us and a member of our team will respond.
Email usIf you would like to be included in upcoming communication about this program, please register here:
Register for updatesCMS disclaimer
The Rural Health Transformation Program is funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial award totaling $147,250,805.85 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.