Closing the First Mile: How RHTP Can Build Pathways That Keep Rural Patients Local

The “last mile” framing in rural healthcare misses the strategic opportunity. The first mile — keeping patients connected to local care before referrals escalate — is where mobile health programs deliver the highest leverage.

This essay outlines a planning framework for using RHTP funds to build first-mile continuity pathways ahead of CMS’s 2028 access enforcement.