Gov. Greg Abbott announced Oct. 29 that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) plans to award $87 million in Rural Texas Strong grants to 129 rural healthcare providers across the state, according to releases from the governor’s office and HHSC.
The grants are part of Rural Texas Strong, the state’s plan approved by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) under the Rural Health Transformation Program. The governor’s office said the plan is 100% federally funded and expected to bring an estimated $1.4 billion in federal funding over five years to improve rural healthcare in Texas.
“Rural Texas communities deserve access to top-notch, reliable care,” Abbott said. “This more than $87 million investment will help to recruit and retain the next generation of healthcare professionals, replace aging medical equipment, and strengthen facilities across Texas communities to improve patient outcomes.”
CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said in the release that the program is equipping states with the resources to strengthen rural healthcare and help families get better care closer to home. HHS Executive Commissioner Stephanie Muth said the awards “will build on the work medical teams do every day to care for rural Texans.”
The governor’s office said the funding will advance three Rural Texas Strong initiatives. The “Make Rural Texans Healthy Again” initiative helps rural hospital districts improve outcomes for chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease and obesity. The “Next Generation of the Small Town Doctor and Team” initiative supports rural communities in recruiting, training and retaining physicians, emergency medical professionals and other healthcare workers. The “Infrastructure and Capital Investments for Rural Texas” initiative supports providers in replacing aging medical equipment and improving existing facilities.
According to the release, the $87,248,124.49 is a portion of the $281,319,360.67 first-year award HHSC received from the CMS program, and federal funding is contingent on meeting all applicable program requirements. HHSC said it will continue to announce its intent to award funding weekly as applications are reviewed across the Rural Texas Strong initiatives, and that funding will be available after contracts are finalized. A list of all recipients is available through the announcement.