Missouri commits $216 million in first-year federal rural health funding

JEFFERSON CITY — Missouri has committed $216 million in first-year funding from the federal Rural Health Transformation Program to strengthen rural hospitals, expand access to care, and support the healthcare workforce, the Missouri Department of Social Services announced. The state’s award was the ninth largest among states, according to the department. It is being used under the state’s Transformation of Rural Community Health, or ToRCH, Care initiative, which the department said has moved from planning to implementation. The program is aimed at problems including hospital closures, workforce shortages, and health disparities. Gov. Mike Kehoe announced this week that Missouri has also been awarded about $218 million in second-year funding. “Every Missourian deserves access to quality care in their own community,” Kehoe said.

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