Office of the Governor — News Release — Gov. Green Announces $58 Million Federal Investment to Strengthen Rural Healthcare Across Hawaiʻi

• $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

About the Rural Health Transformation Program

This project is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $188,892,439.75 with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CMS/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

# # #