Day Kimball Health Receives $20.2 Million to Strengthen Rural Health Care in Northeast Connecticut

Federal Rural Health Transformation Program funding will support advanced imaging, oncology, digital infrastructure, convenient care and expanded access to specialty services

Day Kimball Health has received approval for $20.2 million in Year 1 funding through the Rural Health Transformation Program, a significant investment that will help modernize health care infrastructure, improve access to services and strengthen the delivery of rural health care across Northeast Connecticut.

The funding was highlighted today during a news conference hosted at Day Kimball Hospital with Gov. Ned Lamont and representatives from the Connecticut Department of Social Services, Rural Health Transformation Program, and participating health care organizations.

“This is an extraordinary investment in the health and well-being of Northeast Connecticut,” said Kyle Kramer, chief executive officer of Day Kimball Health. “For the patients and communities we serve, this funding will allow us to make meaningful investments in the technology, facilities, equipment and services needed to bring more high-quality care closer to home. This is an important milestone for Day Kimball Health, and now the work begins to put these investments into action.”

Day Kimball Health’s $20.2 million in Year 1 funding will support five major workstreams:

• Advanced imaging, including MRI, CT and SPECT-CT capabilities and related improvements
• IT and digital infrastructure to strengthen technology, data, analytics, connectivity and care coordination
• Oncology services to expand access to high-quality, patient center-care
• Convenient care to expand access to appropriate and convenient care within the community
• Virtual health and tele-specialty services to provide greater access to specialty care without requiring patients to travel outside the region

The investments will help address some of the challenges patients in rural communities face, including long travel times for specialty services, limited transportation options and fewer health care resources than are typically available in more populated areas. Together, the five initiatives will strengthen access to care, improve coordination among providers and help build a stronger, more sustainable health care system for Northeast Connecticut.

The Rural Health Transformation Program is a federally funded initiative administered in Connecticut through the Department of Social Services and approved by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The program provides $50 billion over five years to strengthen rural health care across all 50 states. Connecticut received approximately $154.2 million in federal funding for Year 1.

Day Kimball Health will now advance planning and implementation across the five major workstreams in accordance with DSS and CMS requirements. Individual projects will move forward on different timelines based on planning, procurement, renovation and implementation needs.

For more information about Day Kimball Health’s Rural Health Transformation Program initiatives and to follow progress as the work moves forward, visit www.daykimball.org/rural-health-transformation-program/.  To learn more about the federal Rural Health Transformation Program, visit https://portal.ct.gov/dss/rural-health-transformation-program. 

This project is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $20.2 with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CMS/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

Photo Caption: From left, Andrea Barton Reeves, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Social Services, Kyle Kramer, CEO of Day Kimball Health, and Gov. Ned Lamont pose for a photo during a news conference announcing finalized Rural Health Transformation Program grant agreements at Day Kimball Health in Putnam, Conn., on September 16, 2026. Photo Credit: Collin Hamilton Photography