FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 4, 2026

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Trump Administration Announces $5.48 Million to Strengthen Healthcare Workforce Pipeline in Rural Rhode Island

This federal investment will expand career and technical education in Rhode Island to help train the next generation of healthcare professionals

The Trump Administration announced today that a $5.48 million investment is being delivered to strengthen the healthcare workforce across rural communities in Rhode Island through the federal Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP). Rhode Island is committing this funding to 14 Local Education Agencies and schools to expand healthcare-focused Career and Technical Education (CTE) opportunities for students across the state.

Funding will support the development and expansion of healthcare career pathways, helping students gain awareness of, preparation for, and exposure to high-demand fields such as nursing, emergency medical services (EMS), behavioral health, physical therapy, sports medicine, biomedical sciences, and other health professions. From investing in early awareness of healthcare careers for children to providing high school students with hands-on experience, these funds will support career opportunities and help communities build a healthcare workforce to support Rhode Island’s rural communities.

“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 Rhode Island,” 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.”

Today’s 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.

Through the RHTP, Rhode Island’s program is designed to work toward a connected, community-based system that ensures every rural resident has timely, coordinated, high-quality care where they live.

Today’s announcement is just one part of the larger overall funding amount awarded to Rhode Island for fiscal year 2026.

Projects supported by this funding include:

• $928,574 to expand a K-12 healthcare career pipeline through an enhanced Biomedical Sciences pathway and a new EMS/Health Sciences Learning Center focused on careers including EMS, nursing, phlebotomy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and sports medicine.
• $1,360,343 to create a healthcare pipeline anchored by an on-campus physical therapy clinic, physical and occupational therapy programs, and a middle school wellness initiative introducing students to health careers.
• $28,542 to connect outdoor experiential learning with healthcare career exploration through wilderness first aid, public health, EMS, and behavioral health experiences.
• $710,619 to launch Rhode Island's first Pre-Medicine CTE program, modernize healthcare learning environments, expand work-based learning, and use advanced medical simulation and AI-supported clinical learning tools.

The Trump Administration is delivering on its commitment to strengthen rural America by investing in solutions that modernize technology to promote health and well-being 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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