The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced more than $19 million in funding to modernize and expand healthcare delivery in rural West Virginia.
The federal investment aims to improve healthcare access for rural residents by supporting mobile health services, chronic disease management, and the expansion of the rural healthcare workforce. According to the agency, the funding will bring modern technology to communities across the state.
The 11 awards are distributed through the Rural Health Transformation Program, an initiative that expands access to quality healthcare while equipping first responders with lifesaving resources. The money will fund new services across West Virginia, including mobile health units, drone delivery for time-critical medical supplies, remote eye care, and patient monitoring technology.
The grants will also support nursing education, apprenticeship programs, and mental health and substance use disorder recovery services. Investments will fund secure systems that allow healthcare providers to better share information, as well as tools that reduce administrative burdens for healthcare professionals.
The Rural Health Transformation Program is supported by a $50 billion national investment from the Working Families Tax Cuts Act. The initiative focuses on building the rural healthcare workforce, strengthening facilities, advancing payment models, and expanding community-based preventive care.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said the government is giving states flexibility to build solutions while demanding accountability for results. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said states are investing to close a three-year life expectancy gap between rural and urban Americans.
Oz said the agency will continue working with state leaders to ensure funds drive improvements in quality, access, and sustainability over the remaining four years of the program.