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FQHCs just got a $100M shot at transforming Medicare care.
CMS Innovation Center dropped MAHA ELEVATE this week: Make America Healthy Again through Enhancing Lifestyle and Evaluating Value-based Approaches Through Evidence.
Here’s what makes this different:
Unlike traditional grant programs that fund incremental improvements, this 3-year cooperative agreement pushes FQHCs to integrate evidence-based lifestyle and functional medicine alongside standard care.
The focus? Medicare populations drowning in chronic disease.
Think about it: FQHCs serve 31 million patients, many with diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. Traditional 15-minute visits aren’t cutting it.
Now CMS wants to fund whole-person approaches that actually address root causes.
📊 The opportunity:
• Up to 30 FQHCs selected
• 3-year funding cycles
• October 2026 launch
• Focus on Medicare beneficiaries
• Integration with existing care, not replacement
But here’s the catch: Letter of Intent due April 10. Full applications by May 15.
That’s less than 4 weeks for FQHCs to mobilize.
The requirements are steep:
• Strong Medicare enrollment
• Robust evaluation capacity
• Data infrastructure ready
• Cross-sector partnerships in place
This isn’t for every FQHC. It’s for those ready to prove lifestyle medicine can scale in safety-net settings.
The bigger question: Is this the beginning of CMS finally funding prevention at the scale we need?
Or just another pilot that won’t survive the next administration?
Either way, FQHCs who’ve been quietly building lifestyle programs now have their moment.
The clock is ticking.
♻️ Repost if FQHCs should lead the lifestyle medicine revolution
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Author:
Jonathan Govette is a seasoned healthcare and technology executive with more than two decades of experience building, scaling, and advising digital health companies. He is the Co-Founder and CEO of Oatmeal Health, an AI-driven Lung Cancer Screening and Diagnostics company focused on expanding access to early detection for underrepresented populations, particularly patients served by Federally Qualified Health Centers and value-based health plans.
With a background in engineering, product development, and strategic partnerships, Jonathan has founded and led multiple health technology ventures across clinical care delivery, regulated medical software, and AI-enabled diagnostics. His work sits at the intersection of medicine, technology, and health equity, with a consistent focus on translating complex clinical problems into scalable, real-world solutions.
Jonathan has spent much of his professional life dedicated to improving outcomes for marginalized and underserved communities. He has designed and implemented frameworks that align clinical quality, reimbursement, and technology to sustainably advance health equity at scale. This mission is deeply personal and informs his leadership philosophy and long-term vision for healthcare transformation.
In addition to his operating experience, Jonathan is an author and long-time writer in the healthcare domain, with over 20 years of published work covering digital health, medical innovation, and healthcare systems. He is a frequent mentor to early-stage founders and regularly advises startups on product strategy, partnerships, and go-to-market execution in regulated healthcare environments.
Before entering industry full-time, Jonathan nearly pursued a career in medicine with an early path toward cardiothoracic surgery, an experience that continues to shape his clinical perspective and respect for frontline care delivery.
CEO | Oatmeal Health | AI Lung Cancer Startup | Engineer | Writer | Almost Became a Doctor (Cardiac Thoracic Surgeon) | 3x Health Tech Founder | Startup Mentor | Follow to share what I’ve learned along the way.
