$87 Million in Rural Texas Strong Grants Are Headed to 129 Rural Healthcare Providers

Rural Texas clinics are in line for a major round of help. Gov. Greg Abbott announced that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission plans to award $87 million in Rural Texas Strong grants to 129 rural healthcare providers across the state, under the state's CMS-approved plan in the federal Rural Health Transformation Program.

The plan is 100 percent federally funded and is expected to bring an estimated $1.4 billion in federal funding to Texas over five years. This round - precisely $87,248,124.49 - is a portion of the $281,319,360.67 first-year award HHSC received, and it advances three initiatives: 'Make Rural Texans Healthy Again,' targeting chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular and respiratory disease and obesity; 'Next Generation of the Small Town Doctor and Team,' supporting recruitment, training and retention of physicians and emergency medical professionals; and 'Infrastructure and Capital Investments for Rural Texas,' for replacing aging equipment and improving facilities.

'Rural Texas communities deserve access to top-notch, reliable care,' Abbott said in the release, adding that the investment will help recruit and retain healthcare professionals, replace aging equipment and strengthen facilities. CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said the program equips states to strengthen rural care closer to home, and HHS Executive Commissioner Stephanie Muth said the awards build on the work rural medical teams do every day.

The money is not in bank accounts yet: federal funding is contingent on meeting program requirements, and awards become available after contracts are finalized. HHSC said it will keep announcing its intent to award funding weekly as applications are reviewed across the Rural Texas Strong initiatives - so this round is the first of a series rural providers will be watching through the fall.