Four rural Connecticut hospitals will share $46 million in Year 1 funding through the state's Rural Health Transformation Project (RHTP), Governor Ned Lamont announced, as the Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS) finalized $50 million in grant agreements to modernize rural healthcare infrastructure.
Day Kimball Hospital in Putnam will receive $20.23 million, Sharon Hospital in Sharon will receive $13.12 million, and Hartford HealthCare's Windham Hospital in Willimantic and Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington will together receive $12.65 million. Mathematica was awarded $3.98 million to provide technical assistance support to the hospitals.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said, "The Trump administration's Rural Health Transformation Program is helping states like Connecticut develop innovative, locally driven solutions to improve rural Americans' access to high-quality care. These grant awards demonstrate how this historic investment is empowering rural communities to strengthen their health systems, put patients first, and bring better care closer to home."
DSS serves as Connecticut's lead agency for RHTP, partnering with other state agencies to implement 30 projects organized across four initiatives: population health outcomes, workforce, data and technology, and care transformation and stability. The program was developed through extensive public engagement, including more than 250 written comments, meetings with health care providers and community organizations, and in-person and virtual listening sessions.
Rural hospitals face longstanding challenges including limited staffing, aging infrastructure, and financial strain from low patient volumes and high reliance on public payers. DSS worked closely with hospital leadership over several months, conducting on-site visits and collaborating on transformation proposals addressing access to care, operational efficiency, and service line restructuring.
Lamont said, "Connecticut's rural hospitals are essential to their communities and they have unique challenges in ensuring that people who live in these areas can access the healthcare they need. These investments will help ensure that every resident—no matter where they live—can get connected to high-quality care."
DSS Commissioner Andrea Barton Reeves said, "This funding represents a critical commitment to rural Connecticut residents and the hospitals that serve them. By investing directly in facility modernization and workforce stability, we're strengthening the foundation of rural healthcare today while building long-term sustainability for the future."
