Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has announced the allocation of $149.3 million in grants for the first round of the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) in Arkansas. This funding, established through President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, aims to enhance healthcare access and services in the state’s rural communities.
The initial awards include $55.7 million through the Telehealth, Health-Monitoring, and Response Innovation for Vital Expansion (THRIVE) initiative and $93.6 million via the Promoting Access Coordination and Transformation (PACT) priority. These grants are part of a larger $209 million expected to be awarded by this fall, with Arkansas anticipating approximately $1 billion in RHTP funding over the next five years.
“Arkansas’ rural communities are home to families who work hard, care for their neighbors, and deserve access to quality health care close to home,” said Governor Sanders. She added that the awards would help local hospitals, healthcare providers, and community partners deliver new services and technology directly to Arkansans in need, fostering stronger, healthier communities.
Dr. Mehmet Oz, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator, emphasized the program's core idea: “your access to quality health care shouldn’t depend on your ZIP code.” He noted that funding new approaches to expand access to primary and specialty care is a critical step towards achieving this vision for Arkansans and rural communities nationwide.
DFA Secretary Jim Hudson highlighted the RHTP plan's development, which builds on Governor Sanders’ vision for addressing maternal healthcare in rural Arkansas through innovative, collaborative solutions. He acknowledged the strong partnership between healthcare professionals and state and local leaders.
THRIVE focuses on modernizing rural healthcare by expanding telehealth, strengthening emergency medical response, and deploying remote patient-monitoring technology. PACT aims to bring specialty care, preventive screenings, telehealth, and trauma-ready services into rural communities, while also supporting locally driven clinical networks, data sharing, and regional collaboration.
The 50 project awards will benefit rural hospitals, health systems, emergency medical service providers, community health centers, universities, and nonprofit organizations across Arkansas. These projects will expand access to specialty and maternal care, strengthen behavioral health and emergency services, modernize facilities, and deploy advanced technologies to bring care closer to patients. Two additional grant initiatives, Recruitment Innovation Skills and Education for Arkansas (RISE AR) and Healthy Eating, Active Recreation, and Transformation (HEART), are expected to be announced later.