WILMINGTON, Del. — Governor Matt Meyer announced that Delaware has submitted an application seeking up to $1 billion from the federal Rural Health Transformation Program to expand access to healthcare, reduce costs, and strengthen the medical workforce in Kent and Sussex counties.
The application outlines 15 major projects aimed at improving care for the nearly 40 percent of Delawareans who live in rural areas. Proposals include establishing the state’s first four-year medical school, creating new Hope Center-style community hubs, and expanding mobile health units, telehealth services, and school-based health centers. “Delawareans have access to some of the best healthcare on the globe, yet insurance is still too expensive and appointments are too limited,” Governor Meyer said during a press conference at the Margaret H. Rollins School of Nursing at Beebe Healthcare in Lewes. “These proposals represent a generational plan focused on expanding access to care and supporting rural communities from the ground up.”
The Rural Health Transformation Program was created by Congress earlier this year with $50 billion in available funding. Half of those funds will be evenly distributed among approved states, while the remainder will be awarded based on program quality and demonstrated impact.
If approved, Delaware’s proposal would fulfill one of Meyer’s top priorities: bringing a medical school to the state to build a permanent pipeline of physicians serving rural communities. Additional initiatives would fund new community health hubs, workforce training programs, and technology systems designed to modernize healthcare delivery statewide. State health leaders say the effort represents an unprecedented investment in Delaware’s healthcare future. Awards are expected to be announced by the end of the year.
Photo: Governor.Delaware.gov