Federal funding to support school-based health care in rural North Carolina
RALEIGH, N.C. (WWAY) — The Trump administration announced Monday that $1.25 million in federal funding will be used to expand health care access for children in rural communities across North Carolina.
The investment, provided through the federal Rural Health Transformation Program, will support new and expanded school-based health centers, telehealth services, mobile care and additional capacity at existing rural health care locations.
Federal officials said the funding is aimed at improving access to preventive, acute and behavioral health care for students who may live far from traditional medical services.
The latest investment follows $10 million in previously announced funding for 39 local EMS agencies in North Carolina. That funding is intended to strengthen the rural EMS workforce and expand access to behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment.
“President Trump understands that every American deserves high-quality healthcare, no matter where they live,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said. “We are putting resources directly into rural communities to strengthen the health workforce, modernize infrastructure, expand access, and bring care closer to home.”
The Rural Health Transformation Program is part of a broader $50 billion federal investment intended to help states change how health care is delivered in rural communities.
Several North Carolina lawmakers praised the investment, saying it could help reduce barriers to care in rural parts of the state.
Rep. Greg Murphy said communities in Eastern North Carolina would benefit from expanded access to health care through the program.
The broader Rural Health Transformation Program funding in North Carolina will focus on expanding preventive and primary care, behavioral health and substance use disorder services, workforce recruitment and retention, and technology such as telehealth and digital health tools.
