The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Monday announced an investment of $58 million in federal funds toward improving rural health care in Hawaii.
The federal Rural Health Transformation Program, CMS said, will help improve access, infrastructure and technology, and strengthen the healthcare workforce, in rural communities across Hawaii.
“As a physician who has practiced in rural communities, I know that distance can determine whether someone receives care in time,” said Gov. Josh Green in a news release. “This $58 million federal investment will help us train and retain more healthcare professionals, provide new ambulances in every county and modernize emergency communications. Mahalo to our federal partners, the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine and the Department of Health for helping us bring quality care closer to home.”
The funding will allocate $45 million to JABSOM for various workforce development programs. The programs are to be administered by the Hawaii Outreach for Medical Education in Rural Under-resourced Neighborhoods, or HOME RUN, initiative.
An additional $13 million, meanwhile, will go to the Hawaii Department of Health to acquire new ambulances for each county, as well as to upgrade emergency communications systems.
“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. in a CMS news release. “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.”
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CMS said the investment was made possible through the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, which delivered $50 billion into transforming the way healthcare is delivered in all 50 states in America.
The $50 billion is to be allocated to approved states over five years, with $10 billion available each year from 2026 through 2030 through a competitive application process.
Hawaii was awarded in January nearly $189 million from the Rural Health Transformation Program for fiscal year 2026.
Green said the award is among the highest in the nation per rural resident. It represents the first year of funding for Hawaii’s five-year Rural Health Transformation Plan, with additional annual awards expected through 2030.
The plan includes six initiatives focused on health information technology, a telehealth network, expansion of emergency and mobile medical services, workforce development, medical respite care and innovative “value-based” care models for rural providers.
JABSOM plans to use the funds to help develop a healthcare career track at all rural high schools. Additionally, JABSOM hopes to launch a direct tuition payment program for medical students that commit to serving rural Hawaii for five years.
In addition to a statewide telehealth system, the plan lists other initiatives such as a “digital backbone” connecting all rural hospitals and clinics via electronic health records. It also mentions creating a rural respite network, with five additional centers on Kauai, Maui, and in Kona, Hilo, and Waianae, to serve patients experiencing homelessness.
“President Trump made a historic commitment to rural America, and these investments are turning that commitment into better care for patients in communities across Hawaii,” said CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz in the release. “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.”
CMS said the Rural Health Transformation Program “is moving beyond the failed one-size-fits-all approach” and giving rural communities tools “to build stronger, more innovative and sustainable health systems.”
More information on Hawaii’s rural health transformation plan is available at https://engage.hawaii.gov/rhtp.
Rural Health Transformation Fund
>> $45M to UH JABSOM for workforce development programs.
>> $13M to Hawaii Health Department to acquire new ambulances for each county, upgrade emergency communication systems.
>> More info at https://engage.hawaii.gov/rhtp.