FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 9, 2026

Contact: CMS Media Relations
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Trump Administration Announces $37.7 Million to Train and Recruit More Rural Healthcare Workers Across Louisiana

This federal investment will connect colleges to rural providers, create new career pathways, and help communities build the workforce they need

Today, the Trump Administration announced $37.7 million in Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) funding to strengthen the rural healthcare workforce across Louisiana. This investment will expand healthcare training opportunities and help rural providers recruit and retain the professionals they need.

This transformational funding will deliver $37.7 million to build Louisiana’s rural healthcare workforce through education, training, recruitment, and retention initiatives, including up to $20 million to connect Louisiana’s public universities and community and technical colleges with rural healthcare providers, aligning education and training with local workforce needs. The funding also includes $12.7 million to help 53 rural providers recruit and retain physicians, nurses, dentists, EMS personnel, behavioral health professionals, and other clinicians through incentives, including sign-on and retention bonuses, relocation assistance, and professional training. The additional $5 million will create healthcare career pathways across 39 campuses, helping high school students begin healthcare coursework, preparing participants to enter the healthcare workforce, and helping current healthcare workers advance their credentials while staying on the job.

The Rural Health Transformation Program is expanding access to quality healthcare, regardless of a patient’s zip code, and equipping first responders with the lifesaving resources they need when every second counts. This funding will make critical investments to strengthen the rural healthcare workforce, expand access to lifesaving services, and bring modern technology to communities across Louisiana.

“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. “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.”

“President Trump made a historic commitment to rural America, and these investments are turning that commitment into better care for patients in communities across Louisiana,” said Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. “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.”

Today’s investment was made possible through the Working Families Tax Cuts Act — passed by Republicans in Congress and unanimously opposed by Democrats — delivering a historic $50 billion investment to help states transform the way healthcare is delivered in America.

“Rural Louisiana deserves access to quality healthcare, and that starts with making sure we have the doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals to serve our communities. This investment will help train the next generation of healthcare workers, recruit more professionals to rural Louisiana and keep them here. I want to thank Secretary Kennedy and CMS for partnering with Louisiana to strengthen our rural healthcare workforce and expand access to care,” said Gov. Jeff Landry.

“Through the Working Families Tax Cuts’ Rural Healthcare Transformation Program, Republicans ensured that our rural communities — and the hardworking Americans who need it most — have improved access to quality health care services, a strengthened workforce, and more pathways to health care careers. Republicans are proud to have directed by law $50 billion in funding to support our rural communities and hospitals, and we look forward to the continued benefits of the Working Families Tax Cuts for Americans, and the monumental impact this additional nearly $40 million in funding will have throughout my district and across Louisiana,” said Speaker Mike Johnson.

“Recruiting, training, and expanding our healthcare workforce is critical to meeting the needs of Louisiana families and rural communities. This $37.7 million investment will help our state expand access to healthcare and create a pipeline for future providers and clinicians in rural and underserved communities. I’m proud to see the programs we fought for and passed in the Working Families Tax Cuts continue to deliver results for American families,” said Majority Leader Steve Scalise.

“Louisiana’s rural families deserve access to quality health care, no matter their zip code. As a physician, I have seen these challenges firsthand, which is why I am proud to have helped secure Rural Health Transformation Program funding. This investment will strengthen our rural health care workforce and expand access to care across Louisiana,” said Sen. Bill Cassidy.

“Rural Louisiana hospitals are the backbone of their communities, and they need good doctors and nurses to keep their doors open. This $37.7 million will help train more health care workers and make sure folks in rural Louisiana can get the care they need close to home,” said Sen. John Kennedy.

“This investment will help ensure Louisiana’s hospitals and clinics have the doctors, nurses, and staff needed to serve Louisiana families in rural communities. My office has consistently fought for workforce development in the 3rd District, and securing this funding required calm, steady effort,” said Rep. Clay Higgins.

“I’m pleased to see the Rural Health Transformation Fund focused on addressing critical health needs facing our rural communities. I supported this funding so that we could improve access to care, starting with building a high-quality workforce to support patients. Thank you to the Trump Administration for looking out for rural America’s healthcare needs,” said Rep. Julia Letlow.

Today’s announcement is one part of the larger overall funding amount awarded to Louisiana for fiscal year 2026.

Key initiatives the overall RHTP funding will focus on include: 

• Building the rural healthcare workforce: Supporting recruitment, training, and retention strategies to strengthen the pipeline of healthcare professionals serving rural communities.
  
  
• Strengthening rural facilities and access: Supporting partnerships, operational improvements, and care-delivery changes that help rural providers maintain essential services and improve access.
  
  
• Advancing innovative care and payment models: Supporting new approaches to delivery and financing designed to improve quality, strengthen primary care, and support sustainable rural healthcare.
  
  
• Expanding community-based and preventive care: Investing in school-based care, mobile services, and other community strategies that improve prevention, address chronic disease, and expand access to care.
  
  
• Modernizing rural healthcare technology: Expanding remote care and data-driven tools to improve coordination and extend healthcare services to rural communities.

The Trump Administration is delivering on its commitment to strengthen rural America by investing in solutions that modernize technology to promote health and well-being for rural communities. Led by CMS, the RHTP is moving beyond the failed one-size-fits-all approach and giving rural communities the tools to build stronger, more innovative, and more sustainable health systems that deliver better care and better outcomes for the Americans they serve.

For more information about the RHTP, visit: https://www.medicaid.gov/resources-for-states/rural-health.

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