FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 20, 2026

Contact: CMS Media Relations
(202) 690-6145 | CMS Media Inquiries

Trump Administration Delivers Critical Funding to Launch the Coordinating and Connecting Care Initiative in North Dakota

This federal investment will help bring high-quality care closer to home by improving coordination for rural North Dakotans

The Trump Administration announced an additional $1 million, made possible through the federal Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), is being put to work in North Dakota to expand coordinated statewide care and ensure seamless access for patients across the state. The launch of the Coordinating and Connecting Care Initiative will bring together patients, rural healthcare providers, community-based and volunteer organizations, tribal partners and other stakeholders to identify gaps, improve communication and strengthen coordination of healthcare services across North Dakota.

“President Trump understands that every American deserves high-quality healthcare, no matter where they live,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “We are putting resources directly into rural communities to strengthen the health workforce, modernize infrastructure, expand access, and bring care closer to home. We are giving states the flexibility to build solutions around the people they serve, while demanding accountability for results. That is how we strengthen rural health, improve the lives of patients and families, and Make America Healthy Again.”

“President Trump made a historic commitment to rural America, and these investments are turning that commitment into better care for patients in communities across North Dakota,” said Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. “This is what rural health transformation should look like: federal investment that is putting patients first, driving lasting improvements and expanding healthcare for the hardworking Americans who call these communities home.”

Today’s investment was made possible through the Working Families Tax Cuts Act— passed by Republicans in Congress and unanimously opposed by Democrats — delivering a historic $50 billion, five-year national investment to help states transform the way healthcare is delivered in America.

“We want to make sure the state of North Dakota has as much flexibility as possible as we work to implement the Rural Health Transformation Program. We appreciate the Trump Administration’s continued coordination with North Dakota as it works to transform rural health care across the state, using the nearly $200 million we worked to secure in the program’s first year,” said Senator John Hoeven. “This latest effort will help ensure a full range of stakeholders, from providers to patients, are at the table as this initiative moves forward. We will continue working to support the state in making the best use of these funds and to ensure we are meeting the benchmarks required to maintain this level of funding in the program’s future years.”

“Rural hospitals are essential to the health and economic stability of communities,” said Senator Kevin Cramer. “Today’s Rural Health Transformation Program investment will help strengthen care coordination and improve the referral process for rural patients across North Dakota. I look forward to seeing this funding translate into practical solutions that improve timely access to local care.”

“Republicans in Congress made strengthening rural health care a priority, and North Dakota is now seeing the results,” said Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak. “This additional $1 million investment will help bring care closer to home, strengthen coordination among providers, and give our hospitals, clinics, and health care professionals more tools to serve patients. The Working Families Tax Cuts Act delivered a historic $50 billion investment in rural health care, while giving states the flexibility to develop solutions that reflect the needs of their communities. I appreciate CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz’s continued partnership in putting these resources to work for North Dakotans.”

The Coordinating and Connecting Care project is just one part of the larger overall funding amount being awarded to North Dakota for fiscal year 2026. North Dakota has already unveiled nearly $60 million in programs and funding opportunities to transform healthcare delivery across the state, ensuring rural residents have access to high-quality, lifesaving care close to home.

Key investments include:

• Clinical Equipment Upgrades:$40 million in grant funding dedicated to helping rural hospitals replace aging equipment, expand specialty and emergency care services, and deliver faster, local diagnoses. 

• Healthcare Workforce Retention: Targeted funding of $10 million to stabilize and retain skilled medical professionals across North Dakota’s 37 Critical Access Hospitals and their affiliated rural clinics.
• Mobile Mammography Services: Funding of $1.5 million to support a targeted opportunity to deploy a mobile mammography unit across western North Dakota, removing transportation barriers and bringing vital breast cancer screenings directly into rural and underserved communities.

The Trump Administration is delivering on its commitment to strengthen rural America by investing in solutions that modernize technology to promote health and wellbeing for rural communities. Led by CMS, the RHTP is partnering with North Dakota and states nationwide to move beyond one-size-fits-all approaches and give rural communities the tools to build stronger, more innovative, and more sustainable health systems that deliver better care and better outcomes for the Americans they serve.

For more information about the RHT Program, visit: https://www.medicaid.gov/resources-for-states/rural-health.

###

Get CMS news at cms.gov/newsroom, sign up for CMS news via email and follow
CMS on X @CMSgov