The Trump Administration announced a $144 million investment in rural healthcare across Alabama through the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), supporting 138 grants to improve health outcomes in underserved communities.
The funding will help rural providers modernize electronic health records, cybersecurity and technology infrastructure; enhance telehealth and mobile care services; strengthen emergency and maternal care; and improve access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment. The grants will also support workforce expansion through training, scholarships, apprenticeships and recruitment efforts.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the investments aim to bring care closer to home in rural communities. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz noted that the funding puts patients first and expands healthcare in communities across Alabama.
The $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Fund was authorized through the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, enacted by Republican members of Congress. Alabama's allocation focuses on workforce development, mental health resources, and improving electronic health records and cybersecurity at rural healthcare facilities.