Rep. McNally Announces The Rural Health Transformation Program
COLUMBUS – State Rep. Lauren McNally (D-Youngstown) today announced that the Controlling Board released funds for The Rural Health Transformation Program. The program will be appropriated $202M each fiscal year and will fund 11 rural health opportunities. These include: the rural health workforce pipeline, Healthier Ohio initiatives, rural Ohio emergency care, OhioSEE rural expansion, pharmacy electronic medical records access, Ohio rural health innovation hubs, rural hospital training/ technical assistance center, rural health equipment, rural maternal health, rural health program implementation and the Ohio rural school based health centers. The goal of this program is to enhance healthcare access, quality and outcomes in rural communities in Ohio and nationwide.
“No matter where you live in Ohio, you should have access to quality care. The Mahoning Valley is no stranger to hospital closures, and making sure we have a system that supports hospital staff, like doctors and nurses, and their patients is vital to making sure the Valley stays healthy and a place where people want to live and work,” said Rep. McNally.
The United States Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has provided this new federal funding opportunity to the Ohio Department of Health. The Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program aims to strengthen the rural healthcare delivery system through innovative, system-wide improvements that ensure long-term sustainability. It focuses on expanding access to care, ensuring sustainability of rural health providers, and supporting workforce development to attract and retain skilled professionals. This program grew from the more than 100 rural hospitals that have closed over the past decade. The problem is not going away with over 700 additional rural hospitals, about 1/3 of all rural hospitals, are at risk of closing in the near future. The goal of The Rural Health Transformation Program is to make sure we do not lose access to care in rural areas.