DSS Rural Health Transformation Office (RHTO) announced the release of an Invitation for Bid (IFB) for the Smart Growth and Service Line Modification initiative under Missouri’s Transformation of Rural Community Health (ToRCH) Care Model.
This initiative is part of a multi-phase funding strategy to support the DSS mission of improving rural healthcare access and patient outcomes. While the first phase will address immediate facility safety and the preservation of core services, this second phase will focus on proactive capacity building.
Spanning Program Years 1 and 2 of Missouri’s five-year Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), the total anticipated funding for this phase is nearly $40 million, with the final funding amount pending budget approval from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Individual awards of up to $5 million will be available through this funding opportunity.
Project should align with ToRCH Care priorities and one of the following priority service lines:
- Maternal Health: Improving access to obstetric, perinatal, prenatal, postpartum, maternal-fetal, or related women's health services
- Behavioral Health: Expanding inpatient, outpatient, crisis, tele-behavioral health, or integrated behavioral health capacity to reduce avoidable emergency department utilization and improve access to timely care
- Diagnostics and Outpatient Care: Expanding or modernizing imaging, laboratory, outpatient services, same-day services, specialty consult, or diagnostic capacity to reduce avoidable emergency department utilization, decrease total cost of care, or expand primary care capacity for chronic disease management
These targeted projects will enable preventative care, increase access points, and empower Missourians to receive more timely, holistic care closer to home.
Eligibility and Scope: Funding is open to hospitals and any organization whose programs, facilities, workforce, or services expand rural residents’ access to healthcare within Missouri’s designated rural communities. To qualify for this funding, applicants must:
- Deliver care from within state-designated rural service areas
- Align with at least one priority service line
- Demonstrate a clear plan for financial and operational sustainability after the grant period
- Address a documented local infrastructure gap by transforming services within their existing setting
This funding is for strategic, one-time infrastructure investments. Projects involving new construction, demolition, major facility expansions, cosmetic improvements, or routine operating expenses are not eligible.
Timing and Next Steps: The formal IFB #DSS26015 for the Transformation of Rural Community Health Care (ToRCH) Care Smart Growth and Service Line Modification Program is officially open for submissions. We encourage all interested applicants to visit the Bid Proposals page to access the full IFB and review the detailed application requirements. To apply for this funding, an organization must register on the MissouriBuys portal.