Rural Health Transformation Program - Division of Workforce Development and Adult Learning
About the Program
The Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) is helping Maryland strengthen the healthcare workforce in rural communities by expanding access to training, supporting healthcare employers, and building a stronger pipeline of healthcare professionals.
Maryland was awarded $168 million in federal funding for RHTP’s first budget period to strengthen and modernize healthcare in the 18 state-designated rural areas. The program is facilitated by the Maryland Department of Health, with workforce components coordinated by the Maryland Department of Labor.
In October 2026, MD Labor awarded a total of $16.4 million to 39 organizations through two initiatives:
Pathways to Health Careers
Pathways to Health Careers is designed for immediate impact, focusing on rapidly training Marylanders for entry-level and peer-supported healthcare roles. This initiative addresses shortages in allied health and community support occupations through two tracks:
- Registered Apprenticeships that provide pathways into healthcare careers through paid, work-based training.
- Rural Advancement for Maryland Peers (RAMP), which helps remove financial barriers to training and certification for in-demand occupations, including Community Health Workers and Certified Peer Recovery Specialists.
Rural Incentives for Strengthening Employment in Healthcare (RISE)
RISE helps rural communities recruit and retain healthcare professionals while building a pipeline of future talent. The initiative includes two tracks:
- Training, recruitment, and retention of advanced practice professionals, including registered nurses, physician assistants, physicians, and dentists.
- Career exploration and workforce development that connects students to healthcare career opportunities and helps incumbent workers upskill.
These initiatives are helping rural communities develop the skilled healthcare workforce they need now and in the future.
Awardees
Pathways to Health Careers: Rural Advancement for Maryland Peers - Allied Health
| Grantee | Award Amount | Jurisdictions Impacted | Occupations | Use of Funding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blossom Maternal Wellness | $181,315 | Allegany, Frederick, Garrett, Washington | Community Health Worker; Patient Navigator | Train and employ CHWs and patient navigators serving pregnant women, postpartum mothers, and families. |
| Dr. Masica Jordan, LLC | $200,000 | Allegany, Calvert, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Kent, Queen Anne's, St. Mary's, Somerset, Talbot, Washington, Wicomico, Worcester | Certified Peer Recovery Specialist | Enroll rural residents with lived recovery experience as Registered Apprentices and cover the full cost of training, materials, supervision, examination, and certification. It will also train supervisors at employer partner organizations as Registered Peer Supervisors, with application fees paid by the grant. |
| Institute for Public Health Innovation | $200,000 | Allegany, Calvert, Caroline, Cecil, Charles, Carroll, Dorchester, Garrett, Harford, Kent, Frederick, Queen Anne's, St. Mary's, Somerset, Talbot, Washington, Wicomico, Worcester | Community Health Worker | Launch a training and career pathway initiative to expand the pipeline of trained, certified, and employed Community Health Workers serving rural Maryland. Partner with local health departments as anchor employers and with community and workforce organizations to recruit, train, and support new and emerging Community Health Workers. |
| ItWorks Learning Center, Inc. | $200,000 | Cecil, Harford, Queen Anne's | Certified Nursing Assistant | Leverage employer relationships in Harford, Cecil, and Queen Anne’s counties to provide no-cost CNA training and certification to individuals. Funding will support staffing, training, supplies, and wraparound services. |
| Jack and Nancy Dwyer Workforce Development Center, Inc. | $195,250 | Allegany, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, Kent, Queen Anne's, Somerset, Talbot, Washington, Wicomico, Worcester | Certified Nursing Assistant | Recruit, assess, enroll, and provide case management for unemployed and underemployed individuals seeking careers as CNAs. Funding includes CNA training, required educational expenses, certification examination costs, and supportive services that enable participants to successfully complete training and obtain employment in Maryland's rural healthcare workforce. |
| Maryland Department of Health | $141,264 | Allegany, Worcester, Calvert, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Frederick, Harford, Wicomico, Washington, Queen Anne's, Kent, St. Mary's, Somerset, Talbot, Garrett | Environmental Health Specialist | Expand the nation’s first EHS Registered Apprenticeship Program into rural Maryland, building new academic and employer partnerships. |
| Susquehanna Workforce Network, Inc. | $157,145 | Cecil, Harford | Certified Peer Recovery Specialist; Community Health Worker; Direct Support Professional; Medical Assistants; Medical Administrative Assistants | Provide occupational training, on-the-job training, credentialing, and supportive services aimed at addressing allied health shortages in Cecil County and supporting the retention of behavioral health workers in Harford County. |
| TidalHealth Peninsula Regional, Inc. | $199,716 | Somerset, Dorchester, Wicomico, Worcester | Community Health Worker | Expand access to Community Health Worker training for participants in its inaugural Maryland Corps/Service Year Option program. Funds will create a structured earn-and-learn pathway that connects service experience, healthcare career exposure, essential workforce skill development, and industry-recognized credential attainment. |
| Voices of Hope, Inc. | $97,321 | Cecil, Harford | Certified Peer Recovery Specialist; Community Health Worker | Offer 13 free CEU courses allowing currently certified peers to complete re-certification and Community Health Worker students/staff to build professional and leadership competencies. |
Pathways to Health Careers: Registered Apprenticeship Intermediaries
| Grantee | Award Amount | Jurisdictions Impacted | Occupations | Use of Funding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentum | $400,000 | Worcester, Wicomico, Washington, Dorchester, Cecil, Caroline, Kent, Queen Anne's, Somerset, Talbot, Garrett | Caregiver Pathway (CNA > Med Tech > Dementia Care Specialist), Health Support Specialist, LPN | Argentum will serve as the industry intermediary and group sponsor for a statewide Registered Apprenticeship initiative in Maryland’s assisted living sector, in partnership with LifeSpan Network and a committed consortium of senior living employers. |
| Asian American Center of Frederick | $393,132 | Frederick, Washington | Dental Assistant, Phlebotomy Technician | In partnership with their newly formed Apprenticeship Consortium, AAFC will develop and register two new occupations: dental assistant and phlebotomy technician. |
| Mental Health Association of Maryland | $400,000 | Allegany, Calvert, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Kent, Queen Anne's, Worcester, Wicomico, Washington, Talbot, Somerset, St. Mary's | Behavioral Health Technician, Certified Peer Recovery Specialist, Alcohol and Drug Counselor | Establish a statewide Registered Apprenticeship intermediary to strengthen Maryland's rural behavioral health workforce through employer-driven, earn-and-learn career pathways in partnership with JobForward and Trailhead Strategies. |
| TidalHealth Peninsula Regional, Inc. | $250,350 | Dorchester, Wicomico, Worcester, Somerset | Medical Lab Technician | Launch an employer-led Medical Laboratory Technician apprenticeship that addresses persistent laboratory workforce shortages on the rural Eastern Shore. |
| Wor-Wic Community College | $312,934 | Wicomico, Worcester | Community Health Worker, Sterile Processing Technician | Establish the Eastern Shore Center for Workforce and Apprenticeship pathways to launch apprenticeship programs in the healthcare and social assistance industry sector. |
Rural Incentives for Strengthening Employment in Healthcare (RISE): Advanced Provider Pathways
| Grantee | Award Amount | Jurisdictions Impacted | Occupations | Use of Funding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CalvertHealth Medical Center | $300,000 | Calvert, Charles, St. Mary's | Registered Nurse (RN), Advanced Practice Nurses (APN), Physician Assistant (PA), Physician, PCT, LPN, ED Tech, Respiratory Therapist, Pharmacist | Establish a comprehensive simulation-based training program that leverages high-fidelity simulation technology and interdisciplinary clinical practice to prepare healthcare teams for high-risk, low-frequency maternal, neonatal, infant, and pediatric emergencies. |
| CalvertHealth Medical Group | $492,093 | Calvert, Charles, St. Mary's | Physician | Establish a Rural Health Physician Recruitment and Retention (RHPRR) Program that provides additional financial support to physicians who commit to serving the community for a minimum of five years. |
| Choptank Community Health System, Inc. | $500,000 | Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne's, Talbot | Advanced Practice Nurses (APN), Physician Assistant (PA), Physician, Dentist, Registered Dental Hygienist | Expand rural clinical teaching through preceptor incentives and a structured process to identify and recruit high-performing students completing CCHS rotations, establish a Clinician Resiliency and Workforce Optimization Initiative, and establish the Eastern Shore Rural Welcome Collaborative. |
| Frostburg State University | $499,531 | Allegany, Calvert, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Kent, Queen Anne's, St. Mary's, Somerset, Talbot, Washington, Wicomico, Worcester | Advanced Practice Nurses (APN), Physician Assistant (PA) | Targets five interconnected components: 1) Transition-to-Practice support for new graduates, 2) Advanced Clinical Skills and Simulation, 3) Clinician Resiliency and wellness programming, 4) Networking and Peer Support, and 5) a Centralized Communication Hub linking rural APPs with employment opportunities, policy updates, professional events, and educational resources (continuing education or “CE”). |
| K&I Healthcare Services, LLC. | $500,000 | Calvert, Charles, St. Mary's | Registered Nurse (RN), Advanced Practice Nurses (APN), Physician Assistant (PA) | Operates the Southern Maryland Rural Advanced Provider Pathway, a thirteen-month project that trains, recruits, and retains registered nurses, advanced practice nurses, and physician assistants in Charles, Calvert, and St. Mary's counties. |
| MedChi | $500,000 | Allegany, Calvert, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Kent, Queen Anne's, St. Mary's, Somerset, Talbot, Washington, Wicomico, Worcester | Registered Nurse (RN), Advanced Practice Nurses (APN), Physician Assistant (PA), Physician | The initiative is designed to strengthen the skills, connectedness, and retention of already-qualified advanced practice providers by combining interprofessional training, telehealth and high-acuity rural case-based skill development, community integration and Welcome Team supports, clinician resiliency and peer support, and a Rural Value-Based Care and Digital Practice Professional Development Series. |
| Meritus Health Foundation | $500,000 | Washington | Physician, Medical School Student | The Advanced Skill Simulation project will establish a state-of-the-art simulation program supporting Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine students, residents, and the existing clinical workforce. |
| Mount St. Mary’s University | $492,093 | Frederick | Registered Nurse (RN), Physician Assistant (PA) | MSMU will create a pathway for MSMU graduates to live, stay, and thrive in rural Maryland communities by recruiting high school students and working healthcare professionals from rural communities, immersing them in rural clinical experiences, providing them resiliency training, and connecting them with local healthcare employers. |
| University of Maryland Charles Regional Medical Center | $500,000 | Charles | Physician | Expand the existing Rural-MD Scholars Program at University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) and increase rural clinical rotation opportunities for medical students at UM CRMC. |
| University of Maryland Eastern Shore School of Pharmacy and Health Professions | $500,000 | Dorchester, Somerset, Wicomico, Worcester | Physician Assistant (PA) | Expand rural preceptor and site capacity; use its simulation center as an interprofessional rural training hub; connect participants approaching graduation and recent graduates to rural employment opportunities, interviews, credentialing support, and workforce transition services; and provide nonfinancial navigation related to housing, childcare, schools, employment, professional networks, and community resources. |
| University of Maryland Shore Regional Health | $499,898 | Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne's, Talbot | Physician | Create the University of Maryland Family Medicine Rural Training Track – Eastern Shore (UMFMRT-ES; Rural Residency Track) to address the critical shortage of primary care physicians across rural and medically underserved communities on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. |
| University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health | $499,999 | Cecil, Harford | Physician | Expand the existing Rural-MD Scholars Program at University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) and increase rural clinical rotation opportunities for medical students at UM UCH. |
| University of Maryland, Baltimore | $500,000 | Allegany, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Kent, Queen Anne's, Somerset, Talbot, Washington, Wicomico, Worcester | Physician | Create a Pre-Medical Preparation Program (Pre-MD) and a 3-Year Accelerated MD in Rural Primary Care (3YMD) within UMSOM. The combined Pre-MD to Accelerated MD Pathway aims to increase the number of rural Maryland students who study medicine, complete training, and practice in rural Maryland in the shortest time possible. |
Rural Incentives for Strengthening Employment in Healthcare (RISE): Talent Pipelines
| Grantee | Award Amount | # Served | Occupations | Use of Funding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentum | $500,000 | Allegany, Carroll, Cecil, Garrett | Healthcare Administration | Develop and register an apprenticeship based Senior Living Professional Certification pathway, building a stackable Healthcare Administration career track from entry level roles to executive leadership in rural senior living communities. |
| Bowie State University | $500,000 | Charles County, Queen Anne's County | Healthcare Administration, Healthcare Administration, Health Information Technology (HIT) | Engage future healthcare workers at critical phases by (1) educating high school and college students about careers in healthcare administration and Health IT, (2) preparing students for those careers through college dual enrollment through BSU’s PHIT Workforce Academy, internships, and professional development, and (3) connecting participants with hands-on experiences leading to employment by leveraging BSU’s healthcare partnership network. |
| Career and Technical Education for Wicomico County Public Schools | $254,309 | Wicomico | Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA) | Wicomico County Public Schools will modernize healthcare training equipment which will strengthen instructional laboratory experiences, support CNA skills development, and reduce transition shock experiences by new healthcare workers entering clinical settings. |
| Charles County Health Department | $275,000 | Charles | Dental Assistants | Build a sustainable pipeline of Dental Assistants in rural Charles County, by providing education through the College of Southern Maryland (CSM), clinical training at CCDOH, credentialing and employment support, and assistance with tuition, stipends, transportation, uniforms, and other barriers. |
| Frederick Health Hospital, Inc. | $430,317 | Frederick | Certified Nursing Assistants, Medical Assistants, Youth Apprentices | Establish a robust pipeline that connects youth and adult learners with hands-on clinical internship and apprenticeship opportunities to address clinical staffing shortages across inpatient and outpatient settings. |
| Hagerstown Community College | $289,529 | Washington | Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics | Deliver an EMT certification program that will prepare participants for entry into rural emergency medical services and establish a clear bridge to advanced Paramedic education. |
| Health Tech Alley | $399,995 | Caroline, Dorchester, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, Worcester | Patient Care Technician, Behavioral Health Technician, Healthcare Administration, Health Information Technology (HIT) | HTA will leverage a partnership with Célébrez la Femme to engage the large Haitian Creole population in Wicomico County, leveraging the organization’s expertise to ensure outreach and services are culturally competent and accessible, breaking down long-standing barriers to entry. Funding will be used to support training, certification, supportive services, and staffing. |
| Jack and Nancy Dwyer Workforce Development Center, Inc. | $445,500 | Allegany, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, Kent, Queen Anne's, Somerset, Talbot, Washington, Wicomico, Worcester | Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Technician, Radiation Technologist, Surgical Technician, Patient Care Technician | Expand career advancement opportunities for incumbent healthcare workers in Western Maryland, the Eastern Shore, and rural Carroll and Frederick counties by providing financial assistance, training access, and supportive services that enable workers to earn advanced healthcare credentials. |
| Medical Revenue Cycle Specialists | $365,344 | Allegany, Calvert, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Kent, Queen Anne's, St. Mary's, Somerset, Talbot, Washington, Wicomico, Worcester | Healthcare Administration, Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) and Community Health Workers (CHWs) | Offer incumbent staff at rural county health departments, including those serving Somerset, Caroline, and Talbot counties, with upskilling opportunities that lead to in-demand certifications. |
| TidalHealth Peninsula Regional, Inc. | $393,750 | Dorchester, Somerset, Wicomico, Worcester | Central Processing Technician, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Technician, Radiation Technologist, Cardiovascular Technician, Surgical Technician, Patient Care Technician, Pharmacy Technician, Behavioral Health Technician, Health Information Technology (HIT) | The Career Mobility Fellowship will provide a practical, high-touch model that combines career pathway visibility, individualized coaching, readiness development, mentoring, and targeted movement toward RISE priority occupations. |
| University of Maryland Eastern Shore | $499,411 | Somerset, Wicomico | Patient Care Technician, Pharmacy Technician, Behavioral Health Technician, Alcohol and Drug Trainee, Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics, Healthcare Administration, Health Information Technology (HIT) | The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) School of Pharmacy and Health Professions proposes the Eastern Shore Health Careers Pipeline Program to recruit, inspire, and prepare local students in grades 6–12 for careers in RISE-priority occupations. |
Resources
- Pathways to Health Careers - Policy (PDF)
- Rural Incentives for Strengthening Employment in Healthcare - Policy (PDF)
- Rural Health Transformation Program Frequently Asked Questions
Program contact
Casey Tiefenwerth[email protected]
Division of Workforce Development and Adult Learning
Maryland Department of Labor
Federal Funding Disclosure: The Maryland Rural Health Transformation Program is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award to the Maryland Department of Health totaling $168,180,837.61 in budget period 1, with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents of this release are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official view of, nor an endorsement by, CMS/HHS or the U.S. Government.