U.S. Senator John Boozman (AR-R) praised an announcement by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) 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 second round of the federal Rural Health Transformation Program.

The funding for this round, provided as part of the Working Families Tax Cuts, includes $27.4 million for 30 projects through the Healthy Eating, Active Recreation & Transformation (HEART) initiative and $27.2 million for 24 projects through the Recruitment, Innovation Skills, and Education for Arkansas (RISE AR) initiative. Combined with the previous round of funding through the Telehealth, Health-Monitoring, and Response Innovation for Vital Expansion (THRIVE) and the Promoting Access Coordination and Transformation (PACT) priority, the full $208 million allocated to Arkansas in 2026 RHTP investments has now been awarded.

“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 Boozman. 

“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.”

“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.”

Click here to learn more about Arkansas grant recipients and projects in this round of RHTP funding. For more on the first round of funding, click here.