(Feb. 11, 2026) – Today, the House Social Services Budget Committee heard from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Janet Stanek on the Rural Health Transformation program.

Secretary Stanek provided background on the program, the plan and initiatives, funding restrictions, how the state is implementing it, and how the structure is slated to work within the Office of the Secretary at KDHE. The secretary highlighted the intense timelines associated with the program and said they hope to start making allocation commitments next week, with the first report to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services due by July 31. Allocations would be awarded by Oct. 30, and Oct. 31 is the next application date for year-two funding. Among the questions, committee members asked specifically about how these funds can help hospitals in rural areas of the state further consider the Rural Emergency Hospital model.

Secretary Stanek pointed to funds specifically for rural emergency hospitals and to partnership encouragement. Legislators asked how they could help with implementation, and Secretary Stanek noted that some regulatory and statutory changes will be required. The committee members asked for more detailed information on the budgets, and the Secretary offered to hold more in-depth committee discussions or individual conversations.