Abbott Announces $78 Million in Grants for 216 Rural Texas Health Care Providers

AUSTIN, TX — Gov. Greg Abbott announced Thursday that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission plans to award more than $78 million in Rural Texas Strong grants to 216 rural health care providers across the state.

The funding will support improvements to rural health care facilities, efforts to address chronic diseases and programs designed to recruit and retain health care professionals in underserved communities.

“Every Texan deserves access to high-quality healthcare, no matter where they live,” Abbott said. “This $78 million investment will help rural healthcare providers strengthen facilities, address chronic diseases, and recruit and retain the next generation of healthcare professionals. Texas will expand access to quality care and support healthier communities across our state.”

The awards are part of an estimated $1.4 billion in federal funding over five years intended to improve rural health care throughout Texas.

The $78,089,434.73 announced Thursday represents a portion of the $281,319,360.67 first-year award HHSC received through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Rural Health Transformation Program.

“CMS is proud to work with states like Texas to deliver innovative, locally driven solutions as part of President Trump’s Rural Health Transformation Program,” CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said. “These awards demonstrate how this historic investment is empowering rural communities to strengthen their health systems, put patients first, and bring better care closer to home.”

The funding will support three initiatives under the Rural Texas Strong program.

The "Make Rural Texans Healthy Again" initiative will help rural hospital districts improve health outcomes and address chronic conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease and obesity.

The "Next Generation of the Small Town Doctor and Team" initiative will support rural communities in recruiting, training and retaining physicians, emergency medical professionals and other health care workers.

The "Infrastructure and Capital Investments for Rural Texas" initiative will help rural health care providers replace aging medical equipment and improve existing facilities.

“Rural providers know their communities best, and these investments will help them address local needs and strengthen care for the Texans they serve,” HHS Executive Commissioner Stephanie Muth said. “By supporting locally driven solutions, we are helping more Texans access quality care closer to home.”

HHSC will continue announcing its intent to award additional funding weekly as applications are reviewed across the Rural Texas Strong initiatives.

Funding will become available after contracts are finalized.

Rural Texas Strong is the state's CMS-approved plan under the Rural Health Transformation Program. The plan is fully funded through federal dollars and includes six initiatives designed to improve access to health care in rural communities.

Federal funding remains contingent on compliance with applicable program requirements.

A list of grant recipients is available through HHSC.

Additional information about the program is available on the HHSC Rural Health Transformation webpage. Public notices and future procurement opportunities will be announced through HHSC's GovDelivery email notifications.