BIG SPRING, Texas (KOSA) – More than $1 billion in federal funding will go to Texas rural communities to help improve health care.
Members of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission hosted a public forum in Big Spring to discuss the Rural Texas Strong plan.
The Rural Texas Strong plan is a five-year, $1.4 billion project to help strengthen health care in rural communities.
“Rural Texans deserve to have healthcare delivered to them in the way they want it, where they want it, and when they want it,” said Victoria Grady, deputy chief financial officer for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. “We are really excited for the opportunity to let rural Texans decide and drive towards better health for themselves and their families.”
The project will provide financial help through a series of six initiatives. These initiatives will be awarded strictly to rural communities only.
“Rural community for this purpose, means a community that has a population of 60,750 individuals or less in the 2020 census,” Grady said.
The open mic HHSC public forum gave some rural provider members, like Stephanie Evans, the business development manager at Laerdal Medical, a deeper understanding of what the project is capable of.
“So, to have a federal initiative to roll down to the states and to roll into the communities and help support them to become better, you know better to serve the communities is gonna be so much better for the people that live there,” said Stephanie Evans, Laerdal Medical business development manager.
Rural providers are strongly encouraged to apply for all initiatives.
“Tell us what you want to do and what you need to do it, and we are going to try and work with you to make sure that you get the funds you need,” Grady said.
For application deadlines and more information, click HERE.
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