Florida Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) - Thrive Technology Subaward

Status: 🟡 PURSUE - MONITOR FOR RFA RELEASE Prior Relationship: Prior funded (FL AHCA relationship via FL DOH ecosystem) RFA Expected: Early 2026 (imminent - town halls underway Feb 27 - Mar 10, 2026)

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Opportunity Overview

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Why This is PURSUE Priority

1. Massive Federal Funding Pipeline

• $50 billion landmark federal program - largest rural health investment in history
• Florida received $209.9M in Year 1 alone, with 4 more years of funding
• Multiple sub-awards will be made across regions and initiatives
• Educational institutions are explicitly eligible as subrecipients

2. Direct Alignment with FIU Thrive Capabilities

3. Internal Champion(s) and Email Context

• Frederick Anderson (NHELP Director) - surfaced the opportunity, noted NHELP not well-positioned for rural but suggested Thrive
• Troy Stefano / David Brown - recommended as potential Thrive leads
• Lorraine Nowakowski - co-chair, FL Regional Coalition of Mobile Healthcare Association, shared the opportunity
• Carolina Cardenas - cc'd on original email

4. Scoring Analysis

Scoring Rationale:

• Funder Alignment (4.0): Florida RHTP explicitly includes RPTM with AI, HIE/ENS, health & lifestyle screening, and care coordination - all core Thrive functions. Slight deduction because the program is rural-focused and FIU's primary operations are urban Miami-Dade.
• Capability Match (4.5): Thrive's technology platform directly maps to at least 5 of Florida's 15 RHTP initiatives. The platform's SDOH screening, AI triage, referral matching, and data integration capabilities are precisely what RHTP seeks. Slight deduction because Thrive hasn't been deployed in FL rural settings yet.
• Success Probability (2.5): This is a state-administered competitive RFA with broad eligible applicant pool. FIU doesn't serve rural communities directly and would need rural partner organizations. No prior AHCA sub-grant relationship for this program. However, educational institutions are explicitly eligible, and the technology focus favors universities.
• Strategic Value (5.0): This is the largest federal rural health investment in history. A successful subaward positions Thrive as statewide rural health infrastructure, opens a 5-year funding pipeline, and establishes AHCA relationship. Also demonstrates Thrive's scalability beyond Miami-Dade.
• Resource Efficiency (3.0): State RFA processes can be complex and competitive. Requires identifying and partnering with rural organizations. The subaward amount is uncertain until RFA release. However, multi-year funding potential offsets upfront investment.

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Florida RHTP Program Structure

Governance

• Led by Project Director within AHCA Rural Health Program Office
• Governance Committee: Secretary, Chief of Staff, Deputies
• Funds awarded via competitive RFA to regional collaboratives and subrecipients

Florida's 15 Initiatives (pp. 22-23 of Sellers Dorsey report)

1. Rural and Satellite Clinics - New rural/satellite sites with EHR and ENS integration
2. Mobile Health - Scheduled mobile units for prevention, screening, prenatal, rehab
3. Community Paramedicine - In-home post-discharge support, telehealth coordination
4. Behavioral Health Telehealth & Telehub Psychiatry - Same-day telepsychiatry, PHQ9/GAD7
5. Tele-Specialties & Imaging - Virtual specialty clinics, cloud PACS
6. Tele-ICU (eICU) - 24/7 remote critical care team connections
7. Hub-and-Spoke Telestroke - Real-time video/CT for stroke care
8. Workforce Development (CTIO) - Rotations, preceptorships, rural service commitment
9. Health and Lifestyle - Food insecurity screening, nutrition counseling, CME
10. Remote Patient Telemonitoring (RPTM) - Devices + AI triage for chronic disease
11. Value-Based Purchasing & PCMH - Performance-based payment models
12. Retail Clinic Services - Rural pharmacy telehealth kiosks
13. HIE/ENS Onboarding - HL7/FHIR interfaces, admit/discharge/transfer alerts
14. Diagnostics Technology Support - Cloud PACS, cybersecurity, EHR integration
15. Medicare-Medicaid Integrated Plans Education - Dual-eligible enrollment outreach

Key Initiatives Aligned with Thrive (Priority Targets)

RPTM (Initiative 10): "Provides cellular-enabled devices (BP cuffs, glucometers, scales, oximeters) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) triage. Teams act on alerts to improve chronic-disease control and prevent emergency visits and hospitalizations."

• Thrive alignment: AI-powered triage, SDOH screening alerts, care team coordination

HIE/ENS Onboarding (Initiative 13): "Funds onboarding, interfaces and training for real-time admit, discharge and transfer alerts. Uses HL7 and Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) standards."

• Thrive alignment: Data integration capabilities, FHIR support, care coordination

Health & Lifestyle (Initiative 9): "Screens for food insecurity; provides brief nutrition counseling and referrals to local programs."

• Thrive alignment: Food insecurity screening built into Thrive, automated referral matching

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Eligibility & Application Details

Eligible Applicants (per AHCA FAQ)

• Healthcare providers and hospitals
• Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)
• Rural clinics and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs)
• Community-based organizations
• Educational institutions (explicitly listed)
• County health departments
• Nurse practitioner-owned practices
• Other entities meeting RFA requirements

Key Constraint: Rural Focus

• Requirement: Projects must benefit rural populations
• NOT required: Institution does not need to be located in rural county
• FIU positioning: Thrive as a technology platform deployable to rural partners
• Regional allocation: Funding distributed proportionally based on rural population and documented access gaps

Reporting Requirements

• Quarterly and annual progress reporting to CMS
• Annual non-competing continuation (NCC) package
• Performance-based future funding (Years 2-5)
• Funds must be spent within 2-year window (FY award year + following FY)

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Strategic Recommendations

Recommended Approach: Thrive as Rural Health Technology Infrastructure

The strongest positioning frames Thrive as a deployable technology platform that can be embedded in existing rural health delivery infrastructure to power multiple RHTP initiatives simultaneously:

Proposed Concept:

FIU HWCOM proposes to deploy the FIU Thrive platform as integrated digital health infrastructure for Florida's rural communities, supporting Remote Patient Telemonitoring (AI-powered triage and care alerts), Health Information Exchange onboarding (FHIR-compliant data integration), and SDOH/lifestyle screening (food insecurity, nutrition counseling referrals) across partner sites. Thrive's proven technology stack - including ML-powered risk prediction, automated intervention matching, and multi-platform mobile access - enables rural providers to deliver coordinated, data-driven care without building proprietary systems.

Critical Partnership Strategy

FIU would need to partner with rural-based organizations to establish credibility and delivery infrastructure:

Application Strategy

1. Monitor AHCA website daily for RFA release: https://ahca.myflorida.com/rural-health-transformation-program
2. Contact RHTP@ahca.myflorida.com to get on notification list
3. Identify rural partners before RFA drops - this takes time
4. Target 2-3 initiatives that Thrive directly enables (RPTM, HIE/ENS, Health & Lifestyle)
5. Leverage Lorraine Nowakowski connection - co-chair of FL Regional Coalition of Mobile Healthcare Association

Key Differentiators

1. Platform, not point solution: Thrive spans multiple RHTP initiatives in one deployment
2. AI already built: RPTM initiative explicitly calls for AI triage - Thrive has this
3. FHIR/interoperability ready: HIE/ENS initiative requires standards Thrive already supports
4. Proven model: Operational in Miami-Dade, not theoretical
5. Educational institution: Brings research rigor, evaluation, and workforce development

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Critical Considerations

Challenges

1. FIU is urban-based: Must demonstrate ability to serve rural FL communities
2. No current rural deployment: Need credible rural partner organizations
3. Competitive process: Many providers, FQHCs, and health systems will apply
4. RFA not yet released: Scope, amounts, and exact requirements unknown
5. Rural geography: Physical deployment and support logistics

Mitigation

1. Position Thrive as technology enabler rather than direct service provider
2. Partner with established rural organizations who need technology support
3. Leverage Dr. Anderson's connection to Lorraine Nowakowski / Mobile Healthcare Association
4. Monitor town halls and webinar materials for application guidance
5. Begin rural partner outreach NOW before RFA release

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Timeline

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Key Resources & Links

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Contact Information

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Files in This Folder

036-fl-rhtp-rural-health/
├── README.md                              # This file
├── research/
│   ├── FUNDER-DEEP-DIVE.md               # CMS/AHCA program analysis
│   ├── PROGRAM-DETAILS.md                # Florida RHTP initiative details
│   └── SCRAPED-CONTENT.md                # Georgetown CHIR + source content
├── application/
│   └── APPLICATION-CHECKLIST.md          # Tracking for when RFA releases
├── drafts/
│   └── [working documents when RFA releases]
└── supporting-docs/
    ├── INVENTORY.md                       # Document inventory
    └── Sellers-Dorsey-RHTP-Awards-State-Summaries-Year1.pdf

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Source of Opportunity

Forwarded by Frederick Anderson (fwanders@fiu.edu) on Feb 6, 2026, who received it from Lorraine Nowakowski (co-chair, FL Regional Coalition of Mobile Healthcare Association). Originally shared via Georgetown CHIR blog post analyzing mobile health in state RHTP plans.