The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing announced that Colorado Rural Health Center CEO Michelle Mills has been named chairperson of the Rural Health Transformation Program Advisory Committee. This committee will play a critical role in guiding the distribution of more than $1 billion in federal grants aimed at transforming rural healthcare in Colorado during the 2026–2031 grant period.
The RHTP Advisory Committee will serve as an essential advisory body in the development, implementation and governance of the RHTP, according to the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing. The committee's responsibilities include providing strategic direction and guidance for the entire program within federal grant guidelines, ensuring rural stakeholder representation, advising on funding distribution priorities and grant application development, reviewing statewide program progress and performance data, and coordinating with technical workgroups.
Colorado's successfully funded application to the federal program will fund work in all 52 rural and frontier counties and the two federally recognized tribes in Colorado. The RHTP will specifically address access to specialty care including behavioral health and obstetric and gynecology services, combat the chronic disease epidemic, and meet the needs of Colorado's two tribes. The work will be accomplished through fostering collaboration, innovation, and access to care, with the advisory council providing crucial direction and oversight.
"I am proud to be named Chair for this important committee. Together the committee will help make sure that these funds are spent to benefit rural communities and facilities in Colorado by providing funding to assist with rural innovation and sustainability," said Mills. The committee includes diverse representation from across Colorado's healthcare landscape, including representatives from Northeast Health Partners, Valley-Wide Health Systems, Paragon Behavioral Health, Delta County Ambulance District, Cedar Point Health LLC, Gunnison County Health & Human Services, Basin Clinic, Southwest Health Systems, Colorado School of Public Health at the University of Northern Colorado, and various state health agencies.
The Colorado Rural Health Center, established in 1991 as Colorado's State Office of Rural Health, serves dual roles as the State Office of Rural Health and the State Rural Health Association. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, CRHC's mission is to enhance healthcare services in the state by providing information, education, linkages, tools, and energy toward addressing rural health issues. The organization's vision is to improve healthcare services available in rural communities to ensure that all rural Coloradans have access to comprehensive, affordable, high quality healthcare. More information about the organization is available at https://www.coruralhealth.org.
This appointment comes at a crucial time for rural healthcare in Colorado, where access to specialty services has been a persistent challenge. The $1 billion federal investment represents one of the largest healthcare initiatives targeting rural communities in Colorado's history and has the potential to significantly impact healthcare delivery systems across the state's most remote regions. The program's focus on behavioral health, maternal care, and chronic disease management addresses some of the most pressing health disparities facing rural Coloradans.
