Arkansas is investing $149.3 million in rural healthcare through the first round of Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) grants.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders recently announced the awards, with funding going to 50 projects across the state. The grants were established through President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill.
The first round includes $55.7 million through the Telehealth, Health-Monitoring and Response Innovation for Vital Expansion (THRIVE) initiative and $93.6 million through the Promoting Access Coordination and Transformation (PACT) initiative.
The state expects to award $209 million through RHTP by this fall and anticipates receiving approximately $1 billion in funding over the next five years.
“Arkansas’ rural communities are home to families who work hard, care for their neighbors, and deserve access to quality health care close to home,” said Gov. Sanders. “Thanks to President Trump and his One Big Beautiful Bill, these awards will help local hospitals, health care providers, and community partners bring new services and technology directly to the Arkansans who need them. I’m proud that we are investing in stronger, healthier communities and building a better future for families across the Natural State.”
The THRIVE initiative focuses on expanding telehealth, improving emergency medical response and deploying remote patient-monitoring technology. PACT will expand access to specialty care, preventive screenings, telehealth and trauma-ready services while supporting clinical networks, data sharing and regional collaboration.
The 50 projects include rural hospitals, health systems, emergency medical service providers, community health centers, universities and nonprofit organizations.
According to the state, the projects will expand access to specialty and maternal care, strengthen behavioral health and emergency services, modernize rural health facilities and bring more care directly to patients through telehealth and other technologies.
“The Trump Administration’s Rural Health Transformation Program is based on one simple idea: your access to quality health care shouldn’t depend on your ZIP code,” said Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. “Funding new approaches to expand access to both primary and specialty care is a critical step toward achieving that vision for Arkansans, and I look forward to seeing RHTP investments drive equally transformative innovations for rural communities nationwide.”
Two additional RHTP grant initiatives — Recruitment Innovation Skills and Education for Arkansas (RISE AR) and Healthy Eating, Active Recreation, and Transformation (HEART) — will be announced at a later date.
“Just over a year ago, Governor Sanders tasked our RHTP steering committee with developing Arkansas’s RHTP plan to address poor health outcomes and need for financial sustainability,” said DFA Secretary Jim Hudson. “Our RHTP plan builds on Governor Sanders’ vision for addressing maternal healthcare in rural Arkansas, through innovative, collaborative solutions. We appreciate the hard work of the RHTP Steering Committee, Secretary Mann, Secretary Mallory, Dr. Ted Brown and Dr. Kay Chandler. Today’s announcement is the result of a strong partnership between healthcare professionals across Arkansas and state and local leaders. We look forward to the impact this program will have for decades to come.”
To view the full list of THRIVE and PACT recipients, click here.
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