NCDHHS, NCDIT Announce Three Programs to Improve Health Care as Part of North Carolina’s Rural Health Transformation Program

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and the North Carolina Department of Information Technology announced three new programs to improve the digital infrastructure of rural health care through new digital solutions and tools. This partnership advances statewide implementation of NC’s Rural Health Transformation Program digital health and technology initiative, funded by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. NCDHHS and NCDIT are launching the Rural Health Innovation Fund, expanding provider agreements with NC HealthConnex and improving digital health literacy. Together, these agreements represent a coordinated statewide effort to modernize rural health care delivery, strengthen digital health capacity, and expand access to emerging technologies. The Digital Health Literacy program expands access to digital health literacy for rural residents through online, phone-based, and in-person supports. It builds on the NC 211 Digital Navigation Program, which provides multilingual assistance, one-on-one training, and digital skills resources for North Carolina communities.