Trump administration awards Missouri $216 million for rural health care 

Missouri will receive more than $45 million to support rural health care, the Trump administration announced Tuesday, part of a total $216 million the state is expected to receive this year.

The money will fund hospital infrastructure improvements and expand access to behavioral and maternal health care. The funds are part of the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), which was announced last year in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act.

The funding includes about $35 million for facility improvements, system upgrades, new diagnostic equipment and other needs at 20 hospital projects.

“We are putting resources directly into rural communities to strengthen the health workforce, modernize infrastructure, expand access and bring care closer to home,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a release. “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,” he added, referencing the administration’s slogan.

Another grant of up to $6.4 million will connect rural providers with behavioral health and perinatal specialists to provide rapid psychiatric consultations and additional support for pregnant and postpartum mothers.

The grant comes just weeks after the highly publicized trial of Lindsay Clancy, a Massachusetts woman accused of killing her three children who claimed she was suffering from postpartum psychosis. A mistrial was declared after a jury failed to reach a verdict earlier this month.

The Trump administration previously gave more than $7 million to expand doula training and certification to strengthen Missouri’s maternal health workforce. The previous funding also helped expand the state’s mobile health care and community paramedicine services.

“Americans should not have to drive an hour or more to get the care they need, and the Rural Health Transformation Program is helping us change that,” Rep. Mark Alford, R-Missouri, said. “I’ve visited nearly every rural hospital in Missouri’s Fourth District, and I’ve seen firsthand what these investments mean for keeping hospital doors open, strengthening our health care workforce and ensuring families can receive quality care close to home.

“This is exactly what the Rural Health Transformation Program was designed to do: strengthen rural communities and ensure the heartland is not left behind.”

Missouri’s rural emergency medical services (EMS) workforce will also receive up to $4.2 million to expand, and 437 selected individuals will receive EMT and paramedic training at no cost.

“This is what rural health transformation should look like: federal investment that is putting patients first, driving lasting improvements and expanding health care for the hardworking Americans who call these communities home,” Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said.

All 50 states will receive funding through the RHTP to support rural health networks over the next five years, ending in 2031, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. States will receive an average of $200 million this year, with Missouri receiving about $216.2 million in total.

“A person’s ZIP code should never determine whether they can see a doctor, receive emergency care or access the services they need to live a healthy life,” Gov. Mike Kehoe said. “With this investment, we can continue to deliver meaningful improvements in rural health care for generations to come.

“We’re grateful to President Trump and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for their continued partnership as we work to build a stronger, healthier future for rural Missouri.”

(Photo credit: Unsplash, Hush Naidoo Jade Photography)