Ivey Announces 34 Grants Totaling Nearly $55 Million in Second Round of Rural Health Funding
MONTGOMERY — Alabama Governor Kay Ivey announced Oct. 1 that the state will award 34 grants totaling nearly $55 million under the Alabama Rural Health Transformation Program (ARHTP) — the second round of 2026 funding. The grants will support emergency labor-and-delivery resources at rural hospitals, telehealth maternal-fetal medicine, cancer screening and workforce pipelines statewide.
Under the announced list, more than 20 rural hospitals will receive emergency labor-and-delivery resources, including a $1 million statewide project by the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) to strengthen obstetric emergency capacity in rural areas. The grants will also expand telehealth networks so expectant mothers in remote areas can consult maternal-fetal medicine specialists remotely.
Ivey said rural health care is a priority for Alabama and the state will continue using federal Rural Health Transformation Program funds to close the urban-rural care gap. Officials with the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) praised Alabama's progress.
Alabama's rural areas have long faced hospital closures and shrinking obstetric services. The funding round is seen as a major state move against the rural health crisis.
Sources: Office of the Alabama Governor; Alabama Gazette (Oct. 1 report)
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：阿拉巴马州议会大厦（蒙哥马利）。摄影：DXR，CC BY-SA 4.0，来源：Wikimedia Commons
