Thought Leadership

What Grant Writers Are Telling Vendors About Rural Health Transformation

Straight from the people writing the applications—what's actually separating vendors who use RHTP to a strategic advantage from those who don't.

We sat down with Angela Connor (Connor Communications & Consulting, Rural Health Transformation Funding Network) and Shelly Davis (Davis Development & Consulting), grant writers working RHTP applications across the country, to talk through what vendors are getting right, what they're missing, and where the real opportunity still is. Answers straight from the people closest to the funding.

Question 01

How should tech vendors think about which accounts and solutions RHTP actually impacts?

It's not just rural, and it's not just healthcare…many vendors are missing the real intersection with their existing market.

Question 02

Are there opportunities for vendors to get involved pre-RFP and influence program and grant design?

The real win happens before the grant guidance document is even released.

Question 03

What does it look like when a sales rep or vendor is a genuine asset in grant creation and program execution?

One state left funding unclaimed because a hospital couldn't pull a proposal together in time. This is what being ready actually looks like.

Question 04

How can a vendor tell if a deal outside RHTP could still be accelerated by the program?

RHTP is often a conversation starter long before it's a funding source.

Question 05

What opportunities for direct vendor funding and innovation are you seeing?

Some states are actively vetting and funding new technology—and most vendors don't know it.

Question 06

What's the cost or advantage of a vendor waiting until later years of the program to get involved?

Sitting back isn't neutral, it's a competitive decision, whether vendors realize it or not.

Question 07

Could RHTP become a model for future CMS programs?

All eyes are on the $50 billion program, for better or worse, it's likely to set the pattern.

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