The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is awarding nearly $55 million through its Rural Health Transformation Program to support 34 grants to healthcare providers and institutions serving rural communities in Alabama.
Funded projects include expanding maternal-fetal medicine services by connecting rural facilities with specialists through telehealth and telerobotic ultrasound.
The grants will also expand mobile and community-based cancer screening in rural areas using the state's Operation Wipe Out early detection model, which relies on local organizations and cross-sector partnerships to bring preventive screenings to residents, according to CMS.
Other funded initiatives cover emergency labor and delivery resources for at least 20 rural hospitals, trauma and stroke coordination for emergency medical services, healthcare workforce training, and investments in electronic health records, IT, and cybersecurity. The award completes Alabama's initial year one funding cycle under the program.
