July 14, 2026 Governor Morrisey Announces $1.8M Investment to Address Critical Healthcare Workforce Shortages ...

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Governor Patrick Morrisey today announced a $1.8 million funding opportunity through the state's Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) to help address critical healthcare workforce shortages across West Virginia. The investment is part of the Mountain State Care Force initiative, one of several programs supported through the Rural Health Transformation Program, which is making more than $145 million available to strengthen rural healthcare across the state.

"Too many of our rural hospitals and clinics continue to face significant staffing challenges, often relying on temporary agencies to fill critical positions," said Governor Morrisey. "This investment will help healthcare providers work together to build a stronger workforce of West Virginia clinicians, improve health outcomes, and help more people get healthy enough to return to the workforce. That's good for our patients, our communities and our economy."

This opportunity aims to fund the creation of regional, rotational staffing pools consisting of physicians, nurses, and advanced practice providers. The State is seeking grantees to design, implement, and operate these flexible clinical teams to deploy across various healthcare facilities to cover short-term staffing gaps. The goal is to improve the reliability of care across rural communities, retain West Virginia-licensed clinicians, and help reduce reliance on external staffing agencies and associated costs.

By establishing these collaborative, shared governance structures, the rotational pools are designed to prevent temporary service closures, improve workforce retention, and ensure that rural residents have uninterrupted access to essential health services.

"A strong healthcare system depends on the people delivering the care," said Secretary of Health Dr. Arvin Singh. "This funding supports provider organizations in working together rather than competing for a limited pool of talent, helping to build a more sustainable, proactive model that supports our clinicians and strengthens access to high-quality care across West Virginia."

Eligible applicants may access the active solicitation through the state's procurement and grants management system at wvOASIS.gov. Interested organizations are encouraged to review the full material packet for detailed eligibility requirements, submission instructions, and key deadlines. Additional information will be shared through an upcoming Announcement for Funding Availability (AFA) release webinar.

This press release is supported by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of the financial assistance award totaling $199,476,098.72 with 100% funded by CMS HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor endorsement, by CMS/HHS, or the U.S. Government.