Trump Administration Announces More Than $16 Million for Rural Healthcare Workforce Training and Retention Across Maryland

Trump Administration Announces More Than $16 Million for Rural Healthcare Workforce Training and Retention Across Maryland

This federal investment will prepare Marylanders for healthcare careers and help rural communities recruit and retain nurses, physicians, dentists, and other providers

Today, the Trump Administration announced $16.4 million in Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) funding to address critical healthcare workforce shortages and improve access to care. This investment will support projects ready for rapid deployment that train new healthcare workers, expand apprenticeships, and help rural communities recruit and retain skilled professionals across Maryland.

This $16.4 million investment will train Marylanders for healthcare jobs, expand registered apprenticeships, and reduce financial barriers to training and certification. Funding will also help rural communities recruit and retain nurses, physician assistants, physicians, dentists, and other healthcare professionals. Additional investments will help current workers build skills, prepare middle and high school students for healthcare careers, and train dental assistants with support for tuition, transportation, and uniforms.

The Rural Health Transformation Program is expanding access to quality healthcare, regardless of a patient's zip code, and equipping rural health systems with the workforce and infrastructure needed to deliver timely care. This funding will make critical investments to strengthen rural healthcare, expand access to lifesaving services, and bring modern technology to communities across Maryland.

"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 Maryland," 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.

"As the sole member of the Maryland delegation to vote to create the Rural Health Transformation Program, I applaud CMS for investing $16.4 million to strengthen Maryland's rural healthcare workforce. For patients in Maryland's First District, recruiting and keeping doctors and nurses means more than filling vacancies-it means having someone nearby to turn to for care. This funding will help rural Maryland recruit those providers and train the next generation of healthcare professionals," said Rep. Andy Harris.

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