Trump Admin Awards $106M to Expand Rural Health Care in NY, RI, MI

President Donald J. Trump’s administration recently announced federal investments to 3 states through the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) to strengthen the health care workforce and improve and modernize health care technology.^1-3

New York, Rhode Island, and Michigan each received funding through RHTP specifically to optimize and build upon the current health workforce and integrated technology to expand health care access for all. The funding is only a small part of each state’s overall spending budget for the 2026 fiscal year and is supported by the Working Families Tax Cuts Act. The announcements reflect a trend of funding through RHTP; the administration announced funding through Alabama in late August.⁴ The program is said to provide states with more flexibility to “build solutions around the people they serve,” according to a statement from Robert F. Kennedy Jr, HHS secretary.

New York Directs $76 Million to Rural Care Coordination

For New York specifically, the $76 million in funding is to be invested among the following¹:

• Strengthening rural health partnerships, thus improving care coordination among rural hospitals and primary care providers, for example, to allow patients a more seamless experience when navigating between different providers and settings.
• Expanding access to care for those in rural communities so they can receive the care they need close to home, and bridging gaps in local services by connecting patients with appropriate health and community resources.
• Uplifting collaborative models of care that aim to develop coordinated approaches that best fit the needs of those in rural communities.
• Stabilizing rural health care systems through rural health care providers by investing in regional partnerships and integrated health networks.

“By strengthening partnerships among rural hospitals, health centers, and community providers, we are breaking down barriers to care, improving coordination, and building a stronger rural health care system that improves health outcomes, expands access, and delivers the kind of care that Americans in rural communities deserve just as much as those in urban and suburban settings,” Representative Nick Langworthy (R, New York), of New York’s 23rd congressional district, said in a statement.

Rhode Island Allocates $5.48 Million to Health Care Workforce Pipeline

Rhode Island will receive a $5.48 million investment to strengthen the rural health care workforce by funding 14 Local Education Agencies and schools, with a focus on expanding health care–centered Career and Technical Education (CTE) opportunities.²

About 17% of the funding will expand K-12 health care career pipelines. Coined the Biomedical Sciences pathway, a new emergency medical services (EMS)/Health Sciences Learning Center will allow students to focus on careers such as EMS, phlebotomy, physical and occupational therapy, and sports medicine.

Another 25% will be allocated to a health care pipeline to introduce students to health careers. Approximately 0.5% will be used to connect outdoor experiential learning with health care career exploration, and about 13% will be used to launch the state’s first premedicine CTE program.

“This is what rural health transformation should look like: federal investment that is putting patients first, driving lasting improvements and expanding healthcare for the hardworking Americans who call these communities home,” said Mehmet Oz, MD, CMS administrator, in a statement.²

Michigan Puts $25 Million Toward Modernizing Rural Health Technology

Michigan will receive $25 million to help modernize health care technology and improve internet bandwidth across the state.³ More than half of the funding will be used to help rural health care providers upgrade their digital systems to improve coordinated care and expand telehealth and remote monitoring. More than $9 million will be used to improve high-speed internet across the state to improve digital health care access.

The funding will also be used to help strengthen Michigan’s rural health workforce through recruitment, training, and retention efforts across rural communities.

“This historic step will promote the well-being of patients, make our healthcare system work more efficiently, and ensure the long-term sustainability of our rural providers for years to come,” Representative Tim Walberg (R, Michigan), of Michigan’s 5th congressional district, said in a statement.³

References

1. Trump administration announces $76 Million to strengthen regional coordination and modernize healthcare technology for New York. News release. CMS Newsroom. September 4, 2026. Accessed September 8, 2026. https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/trump-administration-announces-76-million-strengthen-regional-coordination-modernize-healthcare

2. Trump administration announces $5.48 million to strengthen healthcare workforce pipeline in rural Rhode Island. News release. CMS Newsroom. September 4, 2026. Accessed September 8, 2026. https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/trump-administration-announces-5-48-million-strengthen-healthcare-workforce-pipeline-rural-rhode

3. Trump administration invests $25 million to modernize healthcare technology, expand telehealth, and improve high-speed internet connectivity across Michigan. News release. CMS Newsroom. September 4, 2026. Accessed September 8, 2026. https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/trump-administration-invests-25-million-modernize-healthcare-technology-expand-telehealth-improve

4. McCrear S. CMS invests $144M to boost rural health access in Alabama. AJMC. August 25, 2026. Accessed September 8, 2026. https://www.ajmc.com/view/cms-invests-144m-to-boost-rural-health-access-in-alabama