TRENTON, NJ — Gov. Mikie Sherrill announced Friday, the first round of grant awards through New Jersey's Rural Health Transformation Program, investing $83 million in projects aimed at strengthening healthcare access in rural communities across the state.
Mercer County received $409,538 to increase access to preventive health screenings and vaccinations for populations in rural parts of the county, according to the announcement.
The awards represent the first investments made through the state's five-year Rural Health Transformation Program, a federally funded initiative designed to improve healthcare infrastructure, expand access to care, strengthen the healthcare workforce, and support prevention and chronic disease management in rural communities, the state said.
"Every New Jerseyan deserves access to quality healthcare, regardless of where they live," Sherrill said in a statement. "These grants will help strengthen hospitals, community health providers, and the healthcare workforce that families rely on every day."
The grants support projects across five priority areas: workforce recruitment and training, healthcare infrastructure, health technology, prevention-focused initiatives, and chronic disease management, according to the state.
Health Commissioner Dr. Raynard E. Washington said the investments are intended to help strengthen the overall health of rural New Jersey communities.
"In order to make good health possible for everyone, we have to identify the challenges facing distinct populations and craft innovative solutions to meet their health needs," Washington said in the statement.
Human Services Commissioner Dr. Stephen Cha said the funding is meant to transform healthcare delivery in rural areas, not just fund individual projects.
Approximately one in 10 New Jerseyans live in rural communities, which are more likely to experience healthcare workforce shortages, hospital maternity unit closures, higher rates of substance use-related health impacts, and lower rates of annual pediatric well visits, according to the state.
New Jersey received more than $147 million from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for the first year of the five-year program, which Congress approved last year. The state received one of the highest per-capita Rural Health Transformation awards in the nation for the first year of funding, though funding levels for the remaining four years are not yet known.
The Department of Human Services is the state's lead agency overseeing the program, with the Department of Health administering approximately $95 million in competitive grant funding. The Department of Health received more than 200 applications across six grant categories, and the current round of awards will fund 103 projects statewide.
The announcement noted that the funding comes as federal law changes are expected to place significant financial pressure on hospitals, providers and health coverage programs nationwide. New Jersey is expected to face a $3.3 billion annual cut to hospitals and public health funding as a result of H.R. 1, and changes to Medicaid could result in more than 300,000 New Jerseyans losing NJFamilyCare coverage, according to the state.
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