Make shared infrastructure usable for rural providers.

A network connection cannot benefit a practice that lacks the resources to implement it. Rural Health Transformation funding can support eligible adoption work so smaller providers can use the capabilities states and plans are already building.

Use Delaware’s CMS-approved Rural Health Transformation Plan as a template for scoping provider adoption. Identify the practices, systems, integration work, training and ongoing operating arrangements your program will support.

Fund the work that makes participation practical.

Eligible program activities can include provider onboarding, EHR integration, testing, training and implementation support within the approved program scope. State the tasks and beneficiaries explicitly, including which costs remain with a provider or its vendor.

Make the investment reusable.

Connect a practice to shared infrastructure rather than fund another isolated payer interface. As supported organizations and use cases are added, the initial work can serve more of the practice’s needs.

Keep the funding and participation decisions separate.

SHN’s common participation and designated Open Access transactions do not depend on buying an optional service. A funded program pays for the work it commissions; it does not buy different network rights or authorize unrelated use of information.

Plan beyond the grant period.

Define who will operate and support each connection, what the program pays for, and how the service will continue when the initial adoption funding ends.

Each state must use its own approved funding authority and scope. Delaware’s template does not transfer CMS approval. Funding eligibility and procurement depend on the particular award and approvals.

References to CMS, HHS, or CMS-0057 describe federal programs and requirements; Smart Health Network is not endorsed by CMS or HHS.