Submitted

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) announced the recipients of the Interfacility Transport project (IFTp), a program within the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP). In total, $780,919.21 was awarded to two organizations across the state to pilot innovative approaches to transporting patients from one facility to another, focusing on reducing transport delays and improving patient outcomes and provider and patient satisfaction.

“To build a health care system that works for everyone, we must address all barriers to access – including transportation,” said Governor Laura Kelly. “By investing in initiatives such as the Interfacility Transport project, we are ensuring faster and more reliable access to care for the Kansans who need it most.”

Interfacility transport, which is the movement of a patient from one licensed healthcare facility to another, often by ambulance, is a challenge in rural states such as Kansas. Facilities can be located long distances apart, and limited transportation resources can leave patients waiting for hours. IFTp awardees will implement projects to address these barriers and transport patients quickly and safely to facilities that can provide the healthcare they need.

“By supporting organizations piloting new models for interfacility transport, we will find solutions that are tailored to the needs of Kansas,” said KDHE Secretary Janet Stanek. “Patients will have faster access to the healthcare they need when they need it, and providers can spend time treating patients instead of unraveling the logistics of getting a patient to their facility.”

Patients may need to be transported between healthcare facilities for a variety of services, such as specialized care, advanced testing, and behavioral health services. Those with behavioral health needs face the same transportation barriers and may also require secure transportation that their local hospital or behavioral health providers may not have access to. Older adults also tend to require specific care that can make interfacility transport a unique challenge.

“The projects funded by IFTp will shed a lot of light on how these models can address interfacility transport concerns related to older adults and those with behavioral health needs,” said Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services Secretary Laura Howard. “IFTp will not only give the communities served by the awarded providers faster access to essential services that are located outside of their local areas but will also show us how we can change the healthcare system to better serve vulnerable Kansans.”

Awardees were selected through a competitive application process that evaluated proposals based on alignment with IFTp goals and objectives, organizational capacity, and implementation and sustainability plans.

The 2026 IFTp awardees are:

Pulse Transport, LLC (Pratt County): $455,919.21

Establish a regional interfacility dispatch and coordination center supported by dedicated BLS and advanced transport teams. Rural facilities will have one dependable contact for BLS, ALS, and critical-care transportation. The project will add at least 12 full-time clinicians and four PRN employees.

Labette County Medical Center (Labette County): $325,000

One-time capital for a transit-style ALS ambulance and its medical equipment to establish the SEK Health Regional ALS Transport Service.

RHTP is a five-year opportunity to infuse $50 billion nationwide into state health care systems and bolster rural communities by improving access to and quality of care. Kansas received the sixth-highest award and has since implemented its Year 1 RHTP initiatives to direct targeted resources to high-need areas statewide, focusing on sustaining critical, high-quality healthcare access and services for rural Kansas.

To learn more about KDHE’s commitment to protecting and improving the health and environment of all Kansans through the RHTP, visit: Rural Health Transformation Program at https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/2361/Rural-Health-Transformation-Program?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery.