Gov. Sanders announces first round of Arkansas Rural Health funding, $150 million awarded

By the Arkansas Delta Informer Staff

LITTLE ROCK – Aug. 29, 2026 – Gov. Sarah Sanders today announced $149.3 million in awards for the first round of the state’s Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), including several grant recipients across the Arkansas Delta that will benefit from the  $50 billion federal initiative created by President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

The initial funding round will award $55.7 million through the Telehealth, Health-Monitoring, and Response Innovation for Vital Expansion (THRIVE) initiative and $93.6 million through the Promoting Access Coordination and Transformation (PACT) priority. These awards are part of the $209 million the state expects to award by this fall.

Gov. Sanders and the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) anticipate that Arkansas will receive approximately $1 billion in RHTP funding over the next five years. Two additional grant initiatives, the Recruitment Innovation Skills and Education for Arkansas (RISE) and the Healthy Eating, Active Recreation, and Transformation (HEART) initiatives, will be announced at a later date.

“Arkansas’ rural communities are home to families who work hard, care for their neighbors, and deserve access to quality health care close to home,” said Gov. Sanders. “Thanks to President Trump and his One Big Beautiful Bill, these awards will help local hospitals, health care providers, and community partners bring new services and technology directly to the Arkansans who need them. I’m proud that we are investing in stronger, healthier communities and building a better future for families across the Natural State.”

According to DFA Secretary Jim Hudson, Arkansas’s RHTP plan builds on Gov. Sanders’ vision for addressing maternal healthcare in rural Arkansas through innovative, collaborative solutions. He thanked members of the RHTP Steering Committee, who were tasked with designing the state’s RHT program to support a strong, connected rural health system where families can get the care they need close to home.

“Today’s announcement is the result of a strong partnership between healthcare professionals across Arkansas and state and local leaders. We look forward to the impact this program will have for decades to come,” said Hudson.

Under the THRIVE program, grant recipients will receive funding to modernize rural health care delivery by expanding telehealth, strengthening emergency medical response, and deploying remote patient-monitoring technology. The PACT initiative brings specialty care, preventive screenings, telehealth, and trauma-ready services into rural communities while supporting locally driven clinical networks, data sharing, and regional collaboration.

The 50 THRIVE and PACT project awards represent rural hospitals, health systems, emergency medical service providers, community health centers, universities, and nonprofit organizations serving communities across Arkansas. The projects will expand access to specialty and maternal care, strengthen behavioral health and emergency services, modernize rural health care facilities, and deploy telehealth, remote patient monitoring, and other technologies that bring care closer to patients.

To view the list of THRIVE and PACT grant recipients, click here.