Texas – Governor Greg Abbott announced that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission is making $60 million in initial federal funding available to rural hospital districts to support community-based prevention, wellness, and nutrition programs across the state.
The funding is intended to help rural communities expand access to services aimed at improving long-term health outcomes, including chronic disease prevention and wellness initiatives.
According to the announcement, rural hospital districts will be able to use the funds to support a range of programs such as opening community wellness centers that offer exercise and nutrition classes, expanding access to grocery stores, farmers markets, and food pantries, and establishing after-hours primary care clinics designed to reduce non-emergency visits to hospital emergency rooms. The funding may also be used to provide low-cost or no-cost chronic disease screenings.
Governor Abbott said the initiative is designed to strengthen rural health systems and improve access to preventive care.
“Every community in Texas deserves to have a health system that works as hard as them,” Abbott said in a statement. He added that the funding will help rural hospital districts provide critical services needed to keep residents healthy.
The program is part of the state’s broader Rural Texas Strong plan, which includes the “Make Rural Texans Healthy Again” initiative. The effort focuses on addressing chronic health conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, respiratory illness, and obesity in rural areas.
Texas Health and Human Services officials said the initiative emphasizes prevention as a key strategy for improving health outcomes.
“Improving health outcomes in rural Texas starts with prevention,” said HHS Executive Commissioner Stephanie Muth. She said the funding will support wellness and chronic disease prevention efforts aimed at helping communities build healthier lifestyles.
State officials estimate Texas could receive approximately $1.4 billion in federal funding over five years through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Rural Health Transformation Program.
The Rural Texas Strong plan, which is fully federally funded, includes multiple initiatives aimed at expanding healthcare access in rural communities.
Officials said funding opportunities and public notices related to the program will be announced through state notification systems and posted on official procurement websites.
