W.Va. Dept. Of Health Seeking ‘Brightest Minds’ To Join Rural Health Transformation Team

Less than 24 hours after West Virginia announced it had received a nearly $200-million Rural Health Transformation award for 2026, the state’s Secretary of Health is seeking leaders for the Rural Health Transformation Program.

Dr. Arvin Singh said Tuesday he has already heard from health officials eager to oversee the program’s implementation.

“We’re excited, and we have a lot of engagement already, a lot of interest, a lot of people messaging me, emailing me about wanting to join the team,” Singh said. 

“They could be physicians, they could be nurses, leaders, administrators. We’re keeping a broad lens open and just looking for the brightest minds to join this team.” 

The award, part of President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, is designed to provide states with the necessary funds to create innovative, system-wide change to their public health infrastructure. 

Singh identified seven pillars he said were part of the state’s application: 

• Connected Care Grid – focused on bringing virtual and in-person care to patients across rural areas.
• Rural Health Link – which focuses on transportation and the access challenges for rural communities. 
• Mountain State Care Force – focused on recruiting, training and retaining a healthcare workforce and allied health workforce for the future. 
• Smart Care Catalyst – focused on tech-enabled innovation and regulatory relief
• Health to Prosperity – focused on helping West Virginians rebuild their health, rejoin the workforce and thrive in their communities. 
• Personal Health Accelerator – involves the federal Food Is Medicine initiative.
• Health Tech Appalachia – designed to leapfrog different technologies that innovate healthcare delivery and economic growth.

The fund is designed in part to help offset up to $900 million in annual cuts to the state’s Medicaid program. What it’s not meant to do, Singh said, is replace those funds.

“It’s really what I would describe as a strategic transformation fund, which is focused on modernizing care, moving away from what we’ve seen traditionally as a sickcare system to a healthcare system, expanding access, improving outcomes, strengthening rural systems statewide,” Singh said.

The $199 million award for 2026 “is going to help with those measurable improvements in healthcare delivery, and really set us up to deliver efficient care and also help reverse some of these challenges we face in chronic disease” he said.

The state was guaranteed to receive $100 million a year for five years as part of the program. It is unclear what the state will receive in years 2-5. Click here for more information on available positions and how to apply.