OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR  
Governor Kim Reynolds ★ Lt. Governor Chris Cournoyer   
  
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, December 29, 2025  
MEDIA CONTACT: Mason Mauro, (515) 745-2840, [email protected] 
  
Iowa awarded $209 million for first year of federal Rural Health Transformation Program 
DES MOINES— Governor Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced today that Iowa has been awarded funding through the Rural Health Transformation Program, a federal initiative managed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Iowa’s innovative proposal, Healthy Hometowns, will receive $209 million for the first year of implementation.  
“This program is an incredible opportunity to advance health care in rural Iowa,” Governor Reynolds said. “We’re grateful to the Trump Administration for this investment in our state, and we’re ready to innovate care delivery in ways that improve health, well-being, and quality of life for Iowans statewide.”
“Our mission is simple: healthier communities and better outcomes,” Iowa HHS Director Larry Johnson said. “Healthy Hometowns brings that vision to life by transforming how care is delivered across Iowa.”
About Healthy Hometowns 
Healthy Hometowns is Iowa’s plan to strengthen health care in rural communities by making care more accessible, connected, and patient focused. This initiative is about more than health care. It’s about helping Iowans live healthier lives, closer to home. 
Healthy Hometowns includes five key initiatives:   
  • Hometown Connections: Builds partnerships to expand health care options in rural areas. 
  • Combat Cancer: A statewide effort to improve cancer prevention, treatment, and outcomes. 
  • Communities of Care: Supports projects that bring different types of providers together under one roof. 
  • Health Information Exchange: Makes health records accessible across Iowa so patients can get care wherever they are. 
  • Community Care Mobile: Invests in telehealth and mobile health care programs, including high-risk maternal transport. 
To learn more about Healthy Hometowns, visit HHS.Iowa.Gov/HealthyHometowns. 
 
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