FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 24, 2026

Contact: CMS Media Relations
(202) 690-6145 | CMS Media Inquiries

Trump Administration Announces $54.6 Million to Fight Chronic Disease, Expand Maternal Healthcare Services, and Build Arkansas’ Rural Health Workforce

This federal investment will support 54 projects including mobile preventive screenings, physical activity programs, rural residency and clinical training programs, and new healthcare workforce pipelines across Arkansas

The Trump Administration announced today that a $54.6 million investment is being delivered to recruit, train, and retain Arkansas’ rural healthcare workforce, expand maternal healthcare services, and help fight chronic disease in the state through the federal Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP).

Supporting 54 projects across rural communities in Arkansas, $27.4 of this funding, will support 30 projects focused on community-based nutrition, physical activity, preventive care, and chronic disease management. An additional $27.2 million will support 24 projects focused on recruiting, training, and retaining the rural healthcare workforce. Project outlines include mobile preventive screenings; new rural residency and clinical training programs; and expanded EMT, nursing, maternal health, and behavioral health workforce development.

These investments build on the Administration’s $149.3 million previously announced to expand telehealth and specialty care, modernize rural healthcare technology and infrastructure, and strengthen emergency and preventive services across Arkansas

“President Trump understands that every American deserves high-quality healthcare, no matter where they live,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “We are putting resources directly into rural communities to strengthen the health workforce, modernize infrastructure, expand access, and bring care closer to home. We are giving states the flexibility to build solutions around the people they serve, while demanding accountability for results. That is how we strengthen rural health, improve the lives of patients and families, and Make America Healthy Again.”

“Every state knows best what its rural communities need, and thanks to President Trump’s Rural Health Transformation Program, they now have the resources to meet those needs,” said CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. “As states put these resources to work, we’re focused on turning these investments into meaningful, sustainable improvements for the health systems that serve rural Arkansans.”

Today’s investment was made possible through the Working Families Tax Cuts Act — passed by Republicans in Congress and unanimously opposed by Democrats — delivering a historic $50 billion investment to help states transform the way healthcare is delivered in America.

“Transforming rural health care starts long before a patient walks through the hospital doors,” said Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders. “Thanks to President Trump’s One, Big, Beautiful Bill, we’re strengthening rural health care from the ground up – building healthier communities, growing our health care workforce, and giving providers the tools they need to better serve their patients. These projects will help Arkansans live healthier lives and build a stronger rural health care system for generations to come.”

“This investment is great news for Arkansans and the communities that will benefit from efforts to elevate and emphasize quality medical care close to home. By supporting initiatives focused on preventing and managing chronic diseases as well as bolstering the healthcare workforce, this funding will help address the unique challenges facing rural communities. I’m pleased to see these resources going toward improving the health and well-being of Arkansans and ensuring our rural communities are better positioned to provide care and treatment for years to come,” said Sen. John Boozman.

“The Republican-led Rural Health Transformation Program will invest an additional $54 million this year to support healthcare initiatives across rural Arkansas. I was proud to vote to create this program and will continue working with our congressional delegation, the administration, and Governor Sanders to ensure every Arkansan has access to high-quality healthcare,” said Sen. Tom Cotton.

“The announcement of more than $54 million through the Rural Health Transformation Program is an important step toward addressing longstanding healthcare challenges in rural Arkansas. Many communities across the Delta, the Ozarks, and our foothills continue to face significant barriers, including financial hardship and long driving distances to access care. This crucial investment, delivered through the intentional focus and commitment of Republican leadership to our state's most vulnerable areas, will strengthen rural health systems, help with retention of rural healthcare workers, and support preventive care and disease management. This is meaningful help towards ensuring rural families receive the quality healthcare they deserve,” said Rep. Eric "Rick" Crawford.

“Rural Arkansans deserve access to quality healthcare close to home. This investment of more than $54 million through the Rural Health Transformation Program, in addition to the nearly $150 million announced last month, will help our rural communities expand preventive care, strengthen chronic disease management, and recruit and retain the healthcare professionals rural Arkansas depends on. I am proud to have voted for this critical program as part of the Working Families Tax Cuts Act and pleased to see this funding being put to work in communities across Arkansas,”said Rep. J. French Hill.

Rep. Steve Womack said, "I voted to create the Rural Health Transformation Program to help our state strengthen and improve the health care systems our rural communities depend on. I’m pleased to see Governor Sanders continue to put these resources into the hands of organizations developing new healthcare professionals and preventative care. These investments will better ensure that rural patients can stay healthy by putting them within arm’s reach of the best providers and treatments."

"With so much of the Fourth District made up of rural communities, these continued investments in rural health care are an excellent step toward long-term solutions. The Rural Health Transformation Fund is fulfilling its true purpose: making quality health care more accessible to the hardworking Arkansans who keep this state running. These announced investments will address critical needs by funding nutrition programs, preventive care, and chronic disease management. And they will also help strengthen rural health care access by recruiting and retaining the workforce we need to serve rural Arkansas," said Rep. Bruce Westerman.

Today’s announcement, one part of the larger overall funding amount awarded to Arkansas for fiscal year 2026, completes Arkansas’s initial Year 1 award cycle. These investments are expected to reach communities across all 75 Arkansas counties.

Key initiatives the overall RHTP funding will focus on include:

• Improving prevention and chronic disease management: Expanding physical activity, preventive screenings, nutrition-focused programs, and community-based strategies to address heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and other chronic conditions.
  
  
• Building the rural healthcare workforce: Expanding residency programs, professional training opportunities, recruitment, and retention strategies to strengthen the rural workforce.
  
  
• Expanding access and care coordination: Strengthening partnerships among rural hospitals and clinics and expanding specialty care, telehealth, and coordinated care.
  
  
• Advancing technology-enabled care and emergency response: Expanding telehealth, remote monitoring, home health technology, and emergency-response infrastructure to improve access and support patients with chronic conditions.

The Trump Administration is delivering on its commitment to strengthen rural America by investing in solutions that modernize, transform and expand healthcare access for rural communities nationwide. Led by CMS, the RHTP is moving beyond the failed one-size-fits-all approach and giving rural communities the tools to build stronger, more innovative, and more sustainable health systems that deliver better care and better outcomes for the Americans they serve.

For more information about the RHTP, visit: https://www.medicaid.gov/resources-for-states/rural-health.

###

Get CMS news at cms.gov/newsroom, sign up for CMS news via email and follow
CMS on X @CMSgov