Trump administration announces nearly $55 million for rural maternity care, cancer screening in Alabama

The Trump administration announced nearly $55 million in federal funding to improve care for mothers and babies, expand emergency services and cancer screening, and train healthcare workers in rural Alabama. The funding will support 34 grants to healthcare providers and institutions. 

“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 in an Oct. 1 press release from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). “We are putting resources directly into rural communities to strengthen the health workforce, modernize infrastructure, expand access, and bring care closer to home.”

The grants are part of the Rural Health Transformation Program, a nationwide $50 billion initiative that will distribute funding to all 50 states over five years. Other recent announcements include $169.6 million for Colorado to expand rural healthcare, including maternity care and blood transfusions before patients reach a hospital; $51 million for Texas for nutrition and chronic disease prevention programs; and $8.7 million for ambulances and emergency medical equipment in Montana. 

According to the Thursday release, the latest awards for Alabama include $1 million for the University of Alabama at Birmingham to equip at least 20 rural hospitals with carts stocked with supplies for childbirth emergencies and equipment for hands-on training. That grant will also train healthcare workers to recognize and handle emergencies involving pregnant women and newborns. 

The resources are intended to help rural healthcare workers stabilize mothers and babies before transferring them to hospitals that offer more advanced care, according to the CMS. 

Other projects will help rural patients consult specialists remotely and receive ultrasound exams using remotely controlled equipment. Flowers Hospital will receive $1.45 million to create a regional center for remote consultations with specialists who care for high-risk pregnancies. 

The funding will also expand cancer screening through mobile units and local programs and help emergency responders and hospitals coordinate care for patients with strokes, serious injuries, and other urgent conditions. 

Another $7.27 million will go to the Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences, a residential high school in Demopolis that will prepare students from rural communities for healthcare careers. The grant will also support transportation to hands-on training at healthcare facilities, along with partnerships with healthcare providers and educational institutions.

The announcement completes Alabama’s first year of grant awards under the Rural Health Transformation Program. The state previously announced more than $144 million through 138 grants in August for projects including mental healthcare, healthcare worker training, electronic health records, and cybersecurity. Both rounds are part of Alabama’s approximately $203.4 million first-year federal award.

According to the release, Congress established the national program through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. It provides $50 billion over five fiscal years, with $10 billion available annually from fiscal year 2026 through 2030 to help states expand access to rural healthcare and improve how they provide it.

Kennedy said in the release that the administration is 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,” he added.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, a Republican, praised the program, saying that “every Alabamian deserves access to quality care.”

“I commend all the thoughtful efforts, from the federal policymakers and state administrators to our professional healthcare leaders, who are working hard to ensure the long-term success of this program,” she added. “Once again, the Trump Administration is delivering meaningful results for real Americans.”