Gov. Green announces $58 Million federal investment to strengthen rural healthcare across Hawaiʻi

Gov. Josh Green today announced $58 million in federal funding through the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) to improve access to healthcare and strengthen services in rural and underserved communities across Hawaiʻi.

“As a physician who has practiced in rural communities, I know that distance can determine whether someone receives care in time,” said Green. “This $58 million federal investment will help us train and retain more healthcare professionals, provide new ambulances in every county and modernize emergency communications. Mahalo to our federal partners, the University of Hawaiʻi John A. Burns School of Medicine and the Department of Health for helping us bring quality care closer to home.”

The funding includes:

• $45 million for the University of Hawaiʻi John A. Burns School of Medicine to administer workforce development programs through the Hawaiʻi Outreach for Medical Education in Rural Under-resourced Neighborhoods, or HOME RUN, initiative. 
• $13 million for the Hawaiʻi Department of Health to acquire new ambulances for each county and upgrade emergency communications systems through the Rural Infrastructure for Care Access initiative.

In January, Hawaiʻi was awarded $188,892,440 through the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Rural Health Transformation Program. The award, among the highest in the nation per rural resident, represents the first year of funding for Hawaiʻi’s five-year RHTP, with additional annual awards expected through 2030.

The plan includes six coordinated initiatives focused on health information technology, telehealth, emergency and mobile medical services, workforce development, medical respite care and innovative care models for rural providers.

The RHTP is a five-year, $50 billion national initiative designed to help states expand access, strengthen their healthcare workforces, modernize infrastructure and improve health outcomes in rural communities.

• For more information on local RHTP initiatives, visit https://rhtp.hawaii.gov/
• For more information about the RHTP visit https://www.medicaid.gov/resources-for-states/rural-health

This project is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services of the US Department of Health and Human Services as part of a financial assistance award totaling $188,892,439 with 100% funded by CMS/HHS.