The Texas Health and Human Services Commission will host a public forum Aug. 19 in Big Spring to share information and gather feedback on Rural Texas Strong, the state’s plan for spending federal rural health funding, according to an Aug. 12 media advisory from the agency.
The stakes for rural communities are considerable. Texas estimates it will receive approximately $1.4 billion in federal funding over five years through the Rural Health Transformation Program, according to the advisory, and the Rural Texas Strong plan outlines how those dollars will be used to strengthen rural health care across the state.
The plan is built around six initiatives, the agency said: 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. Wednesday, Aug. 19, at the Big Spring City Council Chambers, 307 E. Fourth St., with formal presentations scheduled for 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. HHSC staff will be available to answer questions and collect input from attendees, the agency said.
For West Texas residents and rural health providers, the session offers a direct channel to weigh in on how the money is put to work in their communities as the program moves forward.