PRINCETON, W.Va. (WVDN) — Governor Patrick Morrisey today signed Senate Bill 570, officially authorizing the use of federal funds to launch the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP). Supported by a first-year federal investment of $199 million, the program represents the largest per-capita allocation in the region and marks a revolutionary shift in how West Virginia addresses rural healthcare.
The RHTP was born from the state’s successful application to the federal Rural Health Transformation Program, an initiative authorized by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. This funding will bolster the Governor’s “Four Pillars of Health”— Clean Up the Food, Find Purpose, Find Health, Move Your Body, Change Your Life, and Reward Healthy Choices.
“At the start of my administration, I was clear: we must transform health in West Virginia,” said Governor Morrisey. “Today, we are providing the means to move West Virginia from the bottom of national health metrics to the very top. With $199 million in Year One alone, we are empowered to revolutionize care for every citizen, from our smallest hollows to our largest cities.”
Senate Bill 570 provides the legislative framework to deploy funds across strategic pillars. The program aims to solve systemic issues such as nursing shortages and hospital closures by:
Expanding Access: Improving real-time care via in-person and digital “one-stop-shop” platforms.
Workforce Development: Attracting top-tier medical talent while training and retaining West Virginia’s own healthcare professionals.
Infrastructure: Creating reliable transportation for patients and providing tools to increase provider productivity.
Prevention: Increasing participation in nutrition and lifestyle programs to reduce health barriers to employment.
Next Steps
The Department of Health will begin releasing competitive Awards for Funding Availability (AFAs) on a rolling basis over the next two weeks. These initial grants will focus specifically on the workforce pipeline, recruitment, and community-based nutrition challenges.
