Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced that the State has submitted its application to access federal grant funding through the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), which is designed to improve healthcare access, quality, and outcomes in rural communities nationwide.

“Tennessee has an historic opportunity to invest in and strengthen healthcare for rural communities for generations to come,” said Gov. Lee. “We know what works, because supporting at-risk and underserved Tennesseans has been a priority of my administration since day one. I’m grateful to the Trump Administration for their partnership to ensure better care, closer to home, for every Tennessean.”

Through passage of The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Congress established the RHTP on July 4, 2025, making $50 billion available to states over the next five years to expand access to care and support sustainable rural health systems. Each year, $5 billion will be shared equally among participating states, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), will distribute the remaining $5 billion based on competitive scoring criteria.

To read the full press release, visit: Gov. Lee Announces Submission of Tennessee’s Rural Health Transformation Proposal