The Stronger & Healthier communities through INtegration of Emerging Health Tech program (SHINE-HT) is designed to help Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in Massachusetts adopt healthtech solutions that support their workforce and improve their care delivery. AI and other healthtech solutions are rapidly changing the way healthcare is delivered by helping to reduce administrative burdens, increasing access to care and improving patient-provider communication. 

However, these solutions are often not designed with the unique needs of underrepresented and underserved patient populations and their care providers in mind. Additionally, the FQHCs who serve these patients have limited resources to evaluate, purchase and implement new healthtech solutions. 

MeHI created the SHINE-HT program to assess FQHC’s healthtech needs, identify and test implementations of healthtech solutions to meet those needs, and provide incentive funding and consulting services to help FQHCs adopt and utilize proven healthtech solutions. Participants will work collaboratively with MeHI, Implementation Partners, and technology vendors to design, implement, and evaluate selected technology solutions focused on addressing identified use cases.

Rural SHINE-HT Program

The Rural SHINE-HT Program will support pilot implementations of selected health technology solutions at eligible rural-designated FQHCs and other rural health facilities (RHFs). Pilot participants will work collaboratively with MeHI, Implementation Partners, and technology vendors to design, implement, and evaluate selected technology solutions focused on addressing identified use cases.  

Applications are currently open for rural-designated FQHCs as defined here. Applicants must identify which use case they want to implement and how it will help address their organization’s current challenges and priorities. MeHI will award $250,000 to each selected FQHC partner to cover staff, technology and potential EHR integration costs for the pilot period.  

Selected FQHCs will also pick an organization from the list of pre-qualified Implementation Partners to lead the design and execution of their pilot implementation. MeHI will separately award selected Implementation Partners up to $182,000 for each pilot implementation.  

Pilot Program for FQHCs

In January 2026, MeHI solicited proposals from FQHCs in Massachusetts for the FY26 pilot of the SHINE-HT Program. Through a mini-bid process, MeHI selected two FQHCs to conduct a pilot implementation of a health technology solution that addresses one of the identified use cases.