• Federal funding will support emergency services, workforce training and technology across the state
By Casper Star-Tribune staff
Via- Wyoming News Exchange
CASPER — Wyoming will receive $205 million in federal funding for rural healthcare, with the money directed toward emergency services, health care workforce training, technology and preventive care.
The Trump administration announced the fiscal year 2026 award Friday through the Rural Health Transformation Program, a federal initiative aimed at improving access to care in rural communities.
The state has allocated the full amount across four areas. The largest share, $91.8 million, will support emergency medical care, including labor and delivery, emergency medical services and trauma care. The funding also is intended to help sustain critical access hospitals and rural ambulance services.
Another $56.3 million will go toward training and education for nurses, emergency medical technicians, behavioral health workers and physicians. Technology projects will receive $16.9 million to help manage chronic diseases, connect patients with specialists and expand access to care closer to home, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
The remaining $38.6 million will fund the Make Wyoming Healthy Again initiative, which aims to expand primary and behavioral health care and support programs focused on healthy eating and exercise.
The investment comes as rural communities face challenges maintaining local medical services and recruiting health care professionals across a state where many communities are separated by long distances.
“Wyoming is a unique state with far flung communities a great distance apart. We need flexibility and sustainability that meets healthcare needs across the state. The Rural Health Transformation Project equips Wyoming to continue to find solutions for our rural and frontier communities,” Gov. Mark Gordon said in a news release.
Federal officials said the program gives states flexibility to tailor spending to local needs while requiring accountability for results.
“President Trump understands that every American deserves high-quality healthcare, no matter where they live,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said. “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.”
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz in the news release said the investment is intended to improve care for rural residents and support lasting changes in how health services are delivered.
The program was established under the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, which authorized $50 billion in federal funding for rural health care nationwide.
U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, a Wyoming Republican who practiced medicine in the state for 24 years, said he pushed for the program to support rural hospitals, clinics and emergency services while helping recruit and train health care workers.
“Wyoming is using this year’s $205 million investment to strengthen and expand access to care in every corner of our state. We are supporting our rural hospitals, clinics, and emergency medicine services,” Barrasso said. “We are investing in training and recruiting highly skilled doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals. We are embracing new technologies and bringing quality care closer to home. This is just the beginning. More funding will follow over the next four years. I’m confident this historic investment in rural healthcare will improve care for families across Wyoming.”
Republican U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis said the funding could help keep emergency, primary and behavioral health services available closer to home. She also credited Barrasso with championing the program.
U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo., said the program gives states control over how the money is spent and provides rural communities with resources to improve access to treatment.
The state’s broader plan also includes efforts to recruit and retain rural health workers, strengthen medical facilities, develop new approaches to health care delivery and financing, and expand preventive services.
Other priorities include school-based care, mobile health services, chronic disease prevention and remote-care technology designed to improve coordination among providers.
Friday’s announcement covers Wyoming’s fiscal year 2026 award.
Barrasso said additional funding is expected over the next four years.
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