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(KNOX) – Gov. Kelly Armstrong said that North Dakota has been awarded $199 million from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to support the first year of a statewide Rural Health Transformation Program. The funding will strengthen rural health care by improving access, quality and health outcomes for North Dakotans in rural communities over the next five years.
To accept federal funding, North Dakota lawmakers must appropriate it before it can be spent. Armstrong issued an executive order today officially convening the Legislature for a special session starting Jan. 21.
“With this major investment through the Rural Health Transformation Program, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rethink and reshape how health care is delivered to our rural communities,” Armstrong said. “We thank President Trump, HHS Secretary Kennedy, CMS Administrator Oz and our congressional delegation for their support in securing this funding, which will benefit citizens across our state and help make North Dakota the best place to live, work and raise a family.”
The state submitted its application to CMS on Nov. 3. The Rural Health Transformation Program centers on four strategic initiatives:
- Strengthening and stabilizing the rural health workforce
- Making North Dakota healthy again with preventive care and healthy eating
- Bringing high-quality health care closer to home
- Connecting technology, data and providers for a stronger North Dakota.
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