The latest legislative & regulatory updates from the Center for Connected Health Policy are now available for the South Central region! Take a look at the current updates along with our archive of updates below:

If you missed our recent Telehealth Roundup: Preparing for Your State’s RHTP RFPs, look no further! The recording is now available for viewing.

The Rural Health Transformation Program represents the largest federal investment in rural healthcare infrastructure in decades — but many organizations are waiting on the sidelines for “official approval” before taking action. In this webinar, Christian Milaster, MS, Founder & CEO, and Carrie Foote, BA, BS, Telehealth Consultant of Ingenium Consulting Group cut through the complexity of RHTP implementation across Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee, providing their assessment of how telehealth initiatives are likely to unfold in your state. Learn what your organization can do right now to position for success, avoid the costly “CMS clawback” trap that catches unprepared programs, and build telehealth capabilities to meet federal sustainability requirements. Watch today!

This recording provides actionable insights into:

• State-specific RHTP intelligence: Discover where your state stands in the RHTP application and implementation process, including prioritized telehealth initiatives and realistic timelines for funding availability.
• Implementation readiness strategies: Learn how to build critical capabilities, engage stakeholders, and position your organization for a competitive edge—before the state program launches.
• CMS claw back prevention: Identify common implementation pitfalls that trigger federal recapture provisions and how to design sustainable telehealth programs that meet CMS requirements from the outset.

The latest legislative & regulatory updates from the Center for Connected Health Policy are now available for the South Central region! Take a look at the current updates along with our archive of updates below:

The South Central Telehealth Resource Center (SCTRC) and the Rural Health Association of Arkansas (RHAA) have been long-time collaborators, uniting under the common goal of increasing health care access for every Arkansan! The SCTRC supports the RHAA in part each year by attending and exhibiting at their Annual Summit. This gives our team a chance to connect with our RHAA colleagues in-person and educate attendees on our valuable resources, assistance, and education!

The 2026 RHAA Annual Summit was held on February 26–27, 2026, at the Marriott Little Rock. This two-day event brought together state and national policy leaders to discuss the most pressing legislative and regulatory issues impacting rural providers and facilities. Attendees gained valuable insights into emerging policies, innovative solutions, and advocacy strategies driving healthcare access and equity across rural communities. The Summit provided a unique opportunity to connect with lawmakers, peers, and thought leaders dedicated to advancing rural health policy.

Part of the core assistance that we provide at the South Central Telehealth Resource Center is hands-on demonstrations and in-depth training about telehealth and telemedicine. This includes not just providing education and resources to established practitioners but also championing telehealth to the future of healthcare: students! 

On January 20, 2026, SCTRC Director, Dr. Melony Stokes, DNP, MSN, RNC-OB, and Nurse Educator, Chandra Smith, MNSc, APRN, CPNP-PC, kicked off the New Year with a telehealth training session at the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) School of Nursing! This training focused on several objectives such as defining essential telehealth terminology, identifying and understanding the advantages/disadvantages of telehealth, discover the benefits and discern the challenges of telehealth, and to participate in a demonstration of telehealth technology.

Through innovative system-wide change, the The Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program invests in the rural healthcare delivery ecosystem for future generations. The RHT Program empowers states to strengthen rural communities across America by improving healthcare access, quality, and outcomes by transforming the healthcare delivery ecosystem.

RHT Program funding is $50 billion to be allocated to approved States over five fiscal years, with $10 billion of funding available each fiscal year, beginning in fiscal year 2026 and ending in fiscal year 2030.

• 50% to be distributed equally amongst all approved States
• 50% will be allocated by CMS based on a variety of factors including rural population, the proportion of rural health facilities in the State, the situation of certain hospitals in the State, and other factors to be specified by CMS in the NOFO