The Texas Health and Human Services Commission is hosting a public forum Aug. 19 in Big Spring to provide information and gather feedback on the state’s Rural Texas Strong plan, according to an Aug. 12 media advisory from the agency.
Texas estimates receiving approximately $1.4 billion in federal funding over five years through the Rural Health Transformation Program, the advisory said. The Rural Texas Strong plan outlines how those funds will be used to strengthen rural health care through six initiatives focused on enhancing or creating wellness and nutrition programs, investing in technology to support patient health portals and communication, using artificial intelligence and telehealth to improve patient outcomes, strengthening the rural health care workforce, bolstering cybersecurity defenses, and providing new or updated equipment.
Rural Texas Strong is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services through a first-year award totaling $281,319,360.67, according to the advisory. The CMS-approved state plan is 100 percent federally funded, and funding is contingent on meeting all applicable program requirements.
The forum will run from 3 to 7 p.m. Aug. 19 at the Big Spring City Council Chambers, 307 E. Fourth St., with formal presentations at 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. HHSC staff will be available to answer questions and get input from attendees, the agency said.
More information is available on the HHSC Rural Health Transformation Program webpage, according to the advisory.