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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 1, 2026
Contact: CMS Media Relations
(202) 690-6145 | CMS Media Inquiries
Trump Administration Announces $58 million to Deliver New Ambulances and Upgrade Emergency Communications Systems Across Hawaii
This federal investment will help expand access, strengthen the health workforce, improve infrastructure, and advance technology for rural communities across Hawaii
The Trump Administration announced today that a $58 million investment is being delivered to improve health outcomes for Hawaiians through the federal Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP). This investment will strengthen Hawaii’s healthcare workforce, improve infrastructure, advance technology, and support innovative approaches tailored to the unique healthcare needs across the state.
“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 Hawaii,” 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.”
This 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.
“As a physician who has practiced in rural communities, I know that distance can determine whether someone receives care in time. This $58 million federal investment will help us train and retain more healthcare professionals, provide new ambulances in every county and modernize emergency communications. Mahalo to our federal partners, the University of Hawaiʻi John A. Burns School of Medicine and the Department of Health for helping us bring quality care closer to home,” said Gov. Josh Green. Today’s announcement is just one part of the larger overall funding amount being awarded to Hawaii for fiscal year 2026.
Projects supported by this funding include:
- Hawaii to allocate $45 million to the University of Hawaiʻi John A. Burns School of Medicine to administer various workforce development programs through the Hawaii Outreach for Medical Education in Rural Under-resourced Neighborhoods (HOME RUN) initiative.
- An additional $13 million to go to the Hawaii Department of Health to acquire new ambulances for each county and upgrade emergency communications systems.
The Trump Administration is delivering on its commitment to strengthen rural America by investing in solutions that modernize technology to promote health and wellbeing 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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