Crisis to Care: Establish or Expand Community Paramedicine Program

The Crisis to Care: Establish or Expand Community Paramedicine Program funding opportunity is part of Kentucky’s broader Rural Health Transformation Program, a statewide initiative funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to improve health outcomes and expand access to care in rural communities. This initiative is administered through the Commonwealth of Kentucky and is one of several coordinated efforts designed to strengthen healthcare infrastructure, workforce capacity, and service delivery across rural regions. The Crisis to Care initiative specifically focuses on enhancing emergency medical services by repositioning EMS agencies as proactive connectors to care rather than solely emergency responders. The primary purpose of this funding opportunity is to support the establishment or expansion of community paramedicine programs among eligible EMS agencies. These programs allow licensed EMS professionals to operate in expanded roles, providing preventive, non-emergency, and care coordination services in community settings. The initiative seeks to address gaps in rural healthcare access, reduce reliance on emergency departments, and improve continuity of care by connecting patients to appropriate services before and after emergency events. Funded programs are expected to reduce unnecessary emergency department utilization, support high-risk populations, and strengthen partnerships with local healthcare providers and behavioral health organizations. Funding is available for both new and existing community paramedicine programs. For new programs, funds may support startup costs such as workforce development, training, certification, equipment, and technology. For existing programs, funding may be used to expand services, staffing, or operational scope. Allowable costs include personnel salaries, medical and technological equipment, training expenses, and credentialing fees. Indirect costs are capped at ten percent of the total award. While funding is intended to support early development and scaling, programs are not expected to be financially self-sustaining during initial funding periods, and continuation funding is not guaranteed. Eligible applicants are nonprofit EMS agencies licensed by the Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services that provide advanced life support emergency response services within the state. Applicants must be in good standing and maintain compliance with all regulatory standards. Funded programs must demonstrate readiness to implement services, maintain appropriate staffing and leadership, operate under medical oversight, and adhere to established clinical and administrative standards. Additionally, applicants must show the ability to build partnerships with rural healthcare providers and community organizations to support coordinated care delivery. Applications are submitted via email and must include a comprehensive application packet with agency information, program descriptions, implementation timelines, evaluation plans, and supporting documentation such as licensure and budget templates. The application process requires detailed narratives outlining methodology, partnerships, anticipated barriers, and sustainability plans. Proposals are evaluated based on program readiness, rural impact, sustainability, implementation feasibility, and budget appropriateness. Scoring emphasizes leadership capacity, workforce planning, rural partnerships, and the ability to deliver measurable outcomes. The application deadline for consideration in the first funding cycle is June 12, 2026, with awards expected to be announced by July 1, 2026. The funding period begins on August 1, 2026, and runs through June 30, 2027 for the initial year. This opportunity is offered on a rolling basis, and additional funding opportunities may be available in subsequent years aligned with the five-year program lifecycle. Funding is contingent upon performance metrics, compliance with reporting requirements, and availability of funds, with ongoing monitoring and evaluation required throughout the project period.

Emphasize strong rural partnerships and documented agreements; demonstrate clear staffing and leadership capacity; provide detailed and feasible implementation timeline; include sustainability plan beyond initial funding; align budget closely with program scope