CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WVDN) – Governor Patrick Morrisey announced the submission of West Virginia’s Rural Health Transformation Fund application, an ambitious plan to modernize rural healthcare and improve health outcomes statewide through an unprecedented investment.
“This marks an exciting new chapter in our mission to strengthen the health and well-being of every West Virginian,” said Governor Morrisey. “This plan will make healthcare more affordable, more accessible, and more effective while helping more West Virginians return to work and strengthening our economy.”
If approved, West Virginia could receive more than $100 million per year for five years through federal legislation championed by President Donald Trump. The funds will be used to expand access, improve quality, and remove health barriers that keep West Virginians out of the workforce.
The Governor’s plan builds on the success of his four-pillar health initiative introduced earlier this year: Clean Up the Food; Find Purpose, Find Health; Move Your Body, Change Your Life; and Reward Healthy Choices. The state has already seen progress, including:
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Healthier school meals under House Bill 2354, banning harmful food dyes.
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SNAP reforms linking education and employment to improved nutrition.
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A USDA waiver removing soda as an entitlement under the SNAP program.
The Rural Health Transformation plan application focuses on seven key areas, including:
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Connected Care Grid: Build the infrastructure to bring virtual and in-person care access to people on-demand.
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Expanding telehealth, remote monitoring, and mobile-care access points across hospitals, clinics, other healthcare locations, and community hubs.
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Launching a scheduling and referral platform connecting virtual, in-person, and home-based care.
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Supporting EMS community-paramedicine and treatment-in-place programs to reduce unnecessary emergency visits.
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Rural Health Link: Transport West Virginians to care when it’s needed.
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Building a unified, one-stop-shop health-mobility platform connecting NEMT, public transit, and community ride programs.
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Funding vehicle and driver grants to expand local and regional transit capacity.
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Coordinating with EMS and hospitals to create an efficient, data-driven transportation system that lowers costs.
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Mountain State Care Force: Recruit, train, and retain the healthcare workforce of the future.
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Expanding rural residencies, fellowships, and training sites across key provider types.
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Offering incentives and “return-to-home” scholarships for clinicians serving rural areas.
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Launching apprenticeships and entry-level healthcare jobs through the Learn & Earn model and community colleges.
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Coordinating workforce recruitment and placement with providers, universities, and state workforce programs.
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Smart Care Catalyst
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Support tech-enabled innovation and regulatory relief.
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Providing technology and productivity grants to modernize small hospitals and rural clinics.
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Creating shared-service collaboratives for group purchasing and administrative efficiency.
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Partnering to reduce administrative burden and improve overall stability.
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Paying for healthcare value and quality.
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Co-creating and incentivizing standard value-based payment models to align incentives around quality and sustainability across payors.
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Providing support for rural providers to move to value-based payment models.
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Health to Prosperity Pipeline: Help West Virginians rebuild health, rejoin the workforce, and thrive in their communities.
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Expanding health-to-work and recovery-to-work programs connecting care, job coaching, and employment support.
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Partnering with employers and workforce boards to fund on-site wellness and preventive programs.
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Offering incentives to MCOs or employers for transitioning people off Medicaid or into commercial coverage.
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Personal Health Accelerator: Empower healthy living through food as medicine, movement, and local partnerships.
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Scaling Food-as-Medicine, physical-activity, and caregiver-support programs through competitive micro-grants.
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Integrating nutrition, lifestyle, and prevention data into workflows for closed-loop referrals.
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Expanding maternal, infant and youth, and eldercare support and chronic-disease prevention programs statewide.
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Partnering with schools, employers, and local organizations to embed healthy living in everyday life.
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HealthTech Appalachia: Incubate leapfrog technologies that innovate healthcare delivery and unlock economic growth.
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Establishing innovation funds to seed and scale breakthrough health technologies.
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Operating a statewide accelerator providing funding for AI-enabled, digital-health, and consumer tools, with a particular focus on innovations that improve chronic-disease, SUD, maternal-health and other outcomes specific to rural West Virginia communities.
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Partnering with many groups, such as universities, venture firms, payors, and providers to build a sustainable rural innovation ecosystem.
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More information on these seven initiatives can be found here.
“This is about creating a healthier, stronger West Virginia,” said Governor Morrisey. “We’re building permanent infrastructure that rewards results, not volume, and ensures every West Virginian has the opportunity to live a longer, healthier life.
The application was developed through broad stakeholder engagement, including public input, roundtables, and a statewide tele-townhall with more than 17,000 participants.
The Department of Health will lead implementation in partnership with community and industry leaders.
A summary of West Virginia’s application can be found here.
