Department Of Health Launches Listserv To Keep Community Informed About Rural Health Initiatives

State officials want to keep the public informed about the launch of new rural health programs. 

The West Virginia Department of Health announced Monday an email listserv to keep the public up to date on the progress of the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP).

Those who would like to receive email updates can sign up or find more information about RHTP on the Department of Health’s website at health.wv.gov.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey has promoted the program as a unique opportunity to improve health outcomes and expand access to care since it was first announced last year. As the end of the legislative session grew closer, he held two press conferences to pressure lawmakers to focus on completing the legal procedure to make the money accessible to state entities.

The West Virginia Legislature only completed that process on Friday. The move formally appropriated the nearly $200 million in federal funds, the first of five years of funding in the One Big Beautiful Bill.

The program is designed to lessen the blow of cuts to Medicare and Medicaid. West Virginia may lose as much as $900 million a year from those cuts, putting rural hospitals at risk according to estimates.

In a committee meeting last week, the House Finance Committee was informed that funding will primarily flow through seven flagship programs:

• $45.9 million for Connected Care grid for building a statewide network that makes it easier for West Virginians to get care by funding new telehealth sites, community care hubs, remote monitoring programs, and the data systems that connect providers
• $13.8 million for Rural Health Link to expand a network of transportation options, support providers in extending reach into underserved areas, and develop programs that bring essential health services directly to rural communities
• $14.7 million for Mountain State Care Force to grow and strengthen the state’s healthcare workforce
• $45.6 million for Smart Care Catalyst Initiative to provide cutting-edge technology to and advocate for payment reforms that help rural providers
• $13.9 million for the Health To Prosperity Pipeline to better integrate essential health services, recovery resources, and meaningful job opportunities 
• $29 million for the Personal Health Accelerator for promoting a culture of health through “food as medicine” programs, community-wide wellness challenges, and partnerships with local businesses
• $18.8 million for Health Tech Appalachia to drive the development and adoption of next-generation healthcare solutions by fostering entrepreneurs, researchers, and tech companies