The Trump Administration announced that $20 million in federal funding is being delivered to upgrade healthcare technology and expand digital access across rural North Carolina through the Rural Health Transformation Program.
The funding will support North Carolina's Rural Health Innovation Fund, making money available to eligible rural providers for technology upgrades and digital healthcare advancements.
Eligible projects include expanding telehealth to allow patients to receive care remotely, upgrading electronic health records systems, strengthening cybersecurity protections, and adopting technology to support clinical decision-making, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
The investment builds on $11.25 million in program funding previously announced for North Carolina to expand preventive and behavioral healthcare through school-based health centers and strengthen the rural EMS workforce.
CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said the agency is "focused on turning these investments into meaningful, sustainable improvements for the health systems that serve rural North Carolinians."