Gov. Armstrong Urges lawmakers to Stay Focused on Rural Healthcare

(Photo provided by the North Dakota Governor’s Office)

(North Dakota Monitor) – Gov. Kelly Armstrong on Wednesday called on the North Dakota Legislature to “execute the game plan” the state has put together to spend $199 million earmarked for rural health care.

Armstrong, a Republican, used the opening of a three-day special session — with the primary purpose to decide how to use the federal funding — to deliver a State of the State speech at the Capitol.

North Dakota had one of the highest per-capita funding awards among the 50 states in the first year of the Rural Health Transformation Program, with more to come.

“If we execute our game plan, we can continue to receive an outsized share of these federal dollars – nearly $1 billion over the next five years,” Armstrong said.