WASHINGTON, D.C. — Patients in rural communities and underserved areas may see expanded access to nutrition services and medical care under more than $135 million in new federal funding announced by the Health Resources and Services Administration.
What This Means for You
- Health centers will expand nutrition services to help prevent chronic diseases
- Rural areas may see more doctors trained and retained locally
- Funding opportunities are available now through federal grant programs
The Health Resources and Services Administration, or HRSA—a federal agency that funds health care services for underserved populations—outlined two major funding initiatives aimed at improving preventive care and addressing workforce shortages.
Nutrition Services Expansion
The largest portion, $125 million, will support more than 350 HRSA-funded health centers in expanding nutrition services within primary care settings.
These services include food-based interventions—programs that use diet and nutrition as part of medical treatment—to help prevent and manage chronic conditions such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.
HRSA-funded health centers currently serve more than 32.4 million patients across over 16,000 sites nationwide, including approximately one in five people living in rural areas.
“Preventative care cuts costs, improves outcomes, and drives our mission to Make America Healthy Again,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said.
Rural Workforce Development
An additional $11.25 million will fund the Rural Residency Planning and Development Program, which helps establish medical training programs in rural areas.
The program will award up to 15 grants of as much as $750,000 each over three years to support residency programs in specialties such as family medicine, internal medicine, psychiatry, obstetrics and gynecology, general surgery, and preventive medicine.
A medical residency is the period of supervised training doctors complete after medical school. Officials say physicians who train in rural settings are more likely to remain in those communities, helping address provider shortages.
“By supporting new rural residency programs to deliver evidence-based nutrition services, we are creating a stronger, more sustainable system of care,” HRSA Administrator Tom Engels said.
Program Track Record
Since 2019, the rural residency program has funded 103 grants across 36 states and one U.S. territory, supporting 62 accredited programs and more than 660 resident physicians.
Officials said the combined investments are intended to improve access to care, strengthen preventive services, and reduce long-term health risks tied to chronic disease.
More information about the funding opportunities is available at www.hrsa.gov and www.grants.gov.
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