Delaware Secures $160,294,521.00 in Year 2 Funding to Continue Historic Investment in Rural Health Care

NEW CASTLE - Delaware will receive $160,294,521.00 in second-year federal funding through the Rural Health Transformation Program, continuing the state's work to strengthen health care in rural communities across Delaware.

The Year 2 award builds on more than $150 million Delaware received in the program's first year to advance projects focused on improving access to care, lowering costs, growing the health care workforce and preparing providers for the future.

Delaware's Year 2 award represents the fifth-largest percentage increase in funding among states, the 10th-largest increase in total dollars, and the fourth-largest increase on a per capita basis.

Nearly 400,000 Delawareans live in rural communities, primarily in Kent and Sussex counties, where shortages of health care professionals and other barriers can make it more difficult to get timely care close to home.

"A Delawarean's ZIP code should never determine whether they can afford to see a doctor or get the care they need," said Governor Matt Meyer. "We are putting these dollars to work by bringing care closer to home, growing our health care workforce and lowering barriers to quality, affordable care. This continued investment will help us build on that progress and make sure every Delawarean can get the care they need, when and where they need it."

During the first year of the Rural Health Transformation Program, Delaware moved forward with major investments across rural health care, including:

• Partnering with Thomas Jefferson University to establish Delaware's first four-year medical school, with clinical education and training in Kent and Sussex counties.
• Funding four new school-based health centers in Sussex County to provide preventive, primary and behavioral health services for students.
• Awarding nearly $23 million to Delaware's Federally Qualified Health Centers to strengthen care delivery, technology, workforce, chronic disease management and the transition toward value-based care.
• Advancing plans for new Hope Center-style facilities in Kent and Sussex counties that will connect homeless residents with health care, housing, employment and other supports.
• Investing in programs designed to recruit, train and retain physicians and other health care professionals serving rural Delaware.
• Advancing new approaches to telehealth, remote patient monitoring, community-based care, chronic disease management, and reducing administrative burden in health care.

"Rural Delaware is growing and changing, and we need to make sure residents can receive the care they need no matter where they live," said DHSS Secretary Christen Linke Young. "In our first year, we began addressing some of the challenges rural communities have faced for years, including provider shortages and limited options for receiving care closer to home. This continued investment gives us the opportunity to build on that progress and create lasting improvements for rural Delawareans while tackling the long-term drivers of high and rising health care spending."

Delaware's approach recognizes that improving health in rural communities goes beyond medical care. The state's plan also addresses workforce, housing, technology and other factors that influence the health and stability of individuals and families.

"Transforming rural health requires us to look at how all parts of care work together," said Delaware Surgeon General Dr. Neil Hockstein. "We are creating stronger connections between providers and communities, using technology in new ways and putting greater emphasis on prevention and chronic disease management. The progress underway gives Delaware an opportunity to improve how care is delivered for years to come."

Delaware's Rural Health Transformation Program plan includes 15 projects, programs and initiatives designed to improve health outcomes and strengthen care in rural Kent and Sussex counties.

More information about Delaware's Rural Health Transformation Program and the status of individual projects is available on the DHSS website.

"The Trump Administration's $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program gives states the resources and flexibility to bring care closer to home and build stronger, more sustainable health care systems for their rural communities," said CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. "As the program enters its second year, this next round of funding will help Delaware build on the progress made in year one and continue working toward lasting improvements in access, quality, and health outcomes for rural communities."

Delaware's Rural Health Transformation Program is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $317,689,484.86 with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CMS/HHS, or the U.S. Government.