Trump Administration Announces $32 Million to Recruit Rural Doctors, Train Healthcare Workers and Expand Emergency Mental Healthcare Across Mississippi

This federal investment will help rural communities recruit healthcare professionals and establish three psychiatric emergency units to connect patients with timely behavioral healthcare

Today, the Trump Administration announced $32 million in Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) funding to strengthen Mississippi's rural healthcare workforce and expand access to emergency mental health services. This investment will provide 60 awards for rural healthcare providers and workforce programs across Mississippi.

This transformational funding will help rural hospitals and healthcare providers recruit and retain primary care physicians and other healthcare professionals, expand clinical training, create pathways to healthcare careers, and establish three psychiatric emergency units adjacent to hospital emergency departments. These investments will help rural communities address staffing shortages, maintain essential healthcare services, and improve care for people experiencing behavioral health crises.

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 Mississippi.

"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."

"President Trump made a historic commitment to rural America, and these investments are turning that commitment into better care for patients in communities across Mississippi," said Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. "This is what rural health transformation should look like: federal investment that is putting patients first, driving lasting improvements and expanding healthcare for the hardworking Americans who call these communities home."

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.

"This is another really important round of awards. The investments we're making today will help Mississippi train, recruit and retain the health care professionals our rural communities need and help close gaps in mental health care by strengthening our state's Psychiatric Emergency Services. We set out to transform health care across our state, and that's what we're doing. These investments will help Mississippi families get the care they deserve closer to home and strengthen health care for generations to come. Thank you to President Trump, Secretary Kennedy and Administrator Oz for their partnership in improving health care for Mississippi and her people. It's another great day for Mississippi," said Gov. Tate Reeves.

"The Rural Health Transformation Fund continues to transform hospital services and patient care across Mississippi," said Sen. Roger Wicker. "Through the program, we are improving patient outcomes by recruiting, educating, and training a highly skilled health care workforce."

"I'm eager to see more of these additional Rural Health Care Transformation Fund resources put to work in Mississippi to strengthen the rural healthcare workforce and expand access to psychiatric emergency services. Improving the availability and quality of healthcare for rural communities in Mississippi and across the nation is critical, and I will keep working to ensure Mississippians have increased access to quality care, no matter where they live," said Sen Cindy Hyde-Smith.

"I am proud to have worked with my Republican colleagues to deliver the single largest investment to rural health care in American history," said Rep. Michael Guest. "With Mississippi set to implement new, innovative solutions that address our growing rural health demands, I am thankful to see Mississippi receiving an additional $32.6 million in Rural Health Transformation Program allocations. I appreciate President Trump for recognizing the importance of rural health care and his administration's continued investment in Mississippi."

"Rural hospitals are vital to communities across South Mississippi, and we must ensure they have the resources needed to serve our families," said Congressman Mike Ezell. "This $32.6 million investment will strengthen our healthcare workforce, expand access to critical services, and help ensure Mississippians can receive quality care close to home."

Today's announcement is one part of the larger overall funding amount awarded to Mississippi 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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