Trump Administration Announces $39.7 Million to Modernize Rural Healthcare Across Missouri
This federal investment will support facility and equipment improvements for maternal, behavioral, diagnostic, and outpatient healthcare services across Missouri
Today, the Trump Administration announced $39.7 million in Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) funding to modernize rural healthcare services and expand access to care across Missouri. This investment will support 26 rural healthcare providers as they renovate, reconfigure, equip, or repurpose existing facilities, to expand maternal health, behavioral health, diagnostic, outpatient, and chronic disease management services across Missouri.
This transformational funding will deliver new labor, delivery, and private triage rooms; expanded behavioral health services for older adults and people with substance use disorders; and upgraded diagnostic equipment, including MRI, mammography and ultrasound services. The funding will also expand primary care and increase the capacity of rural health clinics, helping rural providers update existing facilities and capabilities to better match the healthcare needs of the communities they serve.
The Rural Health Transformation Program is expanding access to quality healthcare, regardless of a patient’s ZIP code, while equipping first responders with the lifesaving resources they need when every second counts. This funding will make critical investments to strengthen rural healthcare, expand access to lifesaving services, and bring modern technology to communities across Missouri.
“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.”
“Instead of throwing money at a broken status quo, President Trump’s Rural Health Transformation Program is funding the structural improvements necessary to build stronger, more sustainable rural health systems,” said Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. “These investments are already delivering better access to higher-quality care for rural Missourians, and we look forward to working with state leaders to build on that success over the remaining four years of the program.”
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.
“Every Missourian deserves access to quality healthcare close to home. These investments will help rural health care providers modernize facilities, expand maternal and behavioral health services, and strengthen access to critical care across our state. By supporting locally driven solutions, we are helping rural communities build a stronger health care system that improves outcomes for Missouri families today and for generations to come,” said Gov. Mike Kehoe.
“This $39.7 million award is the next step in modernizing Missouri’s healthcare services and supporting our rural healthcare workers. I’m proud to have supported this program through the Working Families Tax Cuts Act. These investments will strengthen our healthcare system, support rural healthcare workers, and give Missouri families greater peace of mind knowing they can access the care they need,” said Sen. Eric Schmitt.
“This is critical funding that will help support access to affordable healthcare in our communities and ensure Missouri families have access to quality, modernized care. I was proud to help advance this funding in the Working Families Tax Cuts legislation and will continue to work with the Administration to make we take care of parents and their children,” said Rep. Ann Wagner.
“As a physician, I have seen firsthand the physical and emotional toll that chronic illnesses and serious medical conditions can take on patients and their families,” said Rep. Bob Onder. “Chronic diseases can be particularly challenging for rural Missouri families because of limited access to specialized care, often forcing them to travel hours for treatment. Thank you, President Trump, for this investment to help modernize rural healthcare facilities, expand critical services, and bring quality healthcare closer to home.”
“Your zip code should never determine the quality of care you receive. That’s why Republicans included the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program — the largest single investment in rural health care in history — in the Working Families Tax Cuts. Thanks to the leadership of the Trump Administration and Governor Kehoe, this latest $39.7 million allotment will deliver direct, meaningful support to 26 local providers across Missouri, including several in the Fourth District. From expanding maternal and mental health services to enhancing chronic disease management, this funding will bring lifesaving care closer to home and keep rural Missouri strong,” said Rep. Mark Alford.
“Expanding and strengthening access to rural healthcare is essential for North Missouri,” said Rep. Sam Graves. “Modernizing our healthcare facilities and equipment ensures that families can get the quality care they need and deserve close to home. This latest round of Rural Health Transformation Program funding is an important step in making that a reality. The Working Families Tax Cuts law we passed last year continues to deliver meaningful results for communities across Missouri, and I look forward to seeing these investments take shape to improve rural healthcare.”
“I wrote the Rural Health Transformation Program to benefit Missouri communities. When a rural hospital shuts down back home, that often means losing half a day on the road for a basic scan, mental health appointment, or prenatal checkup,” said Rep. Jason Smith. “We’ve already seen a dozen rural hospitals close across Missouri in the last ten years alone, and I made it my mission to make sure that doesn’t continue. This $39.7 million is yet another sign that the program is doing exactly what I intended it to do when I included it in the One, Big, Beautiful Bill. I’m thrilled to see this much-needed funding go to over two dozen providers to improve and protect rural health care across the Show-Me State, and I’ll keep fighting to ensure that our neighbors have access to the care they need and deserve.”
Today’s announcement is one part of the larger overall funding amount awarded to Missouri for fiscal year 2026.
Key initiatives the overall RHTP funding will focus on include:
- Building the rural healthcare workforce: Supporting recruitment, training, and retention strategies to strengthen the pipeline of healthcare professionals serving rural communities.
- Strengthening rural facilities and access: Supporting partnerships, operational improvements, and care-delivery changes that help rural providers maintain essential services and improve access.
- Advancing innovative care and payment models: Supporting new approaches to delivery and financing designed to improve quality, strengthen primary care, and support sustainable rural healthcare.
- Expanding community-based and preventive care: Investing in school-based care, mobile services,and other community strategies that improve prevention, address chronic disease, and expand access to care.
- Modernizing rural healthcare technology: Expanding remote care and data-driven tools to improve coordination and extend healthcare services to rural communities.
The Trump Administration is delivering on its commitment to strengthen rural America by investing in solutions that modernize technology to promote health and well-being for rural communities. 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.
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