Boiler Bay Beacon
SALEM — Oregon’s first slice of the federal Rural Health Transformation Program funding created by President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” is now moving to communities on the ground.
On April 10 the Oregon Health Authority announced 12 ready-to-launch projects that will share up to $6.5 million this year as Immediate Impact Awards. The money comes directly from the $197.3 million Oregon is receiving in 2026 under the program established by H.R. 1, the sweeping federal tax-and-spending package signed into law on July 4, 2025.
“Where you live shouldn’t determine whether you get quality health services,” OHA Director Dr. Sejal Hathi said in the release. “These projects show what’s possible when rural communities lead, and OHA is committed to helping them turn homegrown solutions into lasting impact.”
OHA Health Policy & Analytics Director Clare Pierce-Wrobel added that the early awards will “help Oregon’s Rural Health Transformation Program succeed in its first year, building a solid foundation upon which we can meaningfully improve rural healthcare access for years to come.”
The Rural Health Transformation Program was written into H.R. 1 specifically to strengthen rural and frontier healthcare. While the legislation included cuts to other federal programs, it also dedicated $50 billion nationwide over five years for states to invest in workforce training, chronic-disease management, behavioral health, maternal health and other rural priorities. Oregon’s share for this year is now beginning to reach the communities that need it most.
North Coast Model Offers Lessons for Lincoln County
One of the 12 Immediate Impact projects is launching just up the coast in Clatsop County. Northwest Regional Education Service District, Clatsop Community College, Seaside School District and Providence Seaside Hospital will develop a new medical assistant education and career opportunity program for North Coast high school students.
The initiative aims to grow the local healthcare workforce, a challenge that hits Lincoln County just as hard. Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital in Lincoln City and Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital in Newport serve roughly 50,000 residents spread across remote coastal communities where recruiting and retaining medical assistants and frontline staff has long been tough.
Lincoln County schools, hospitals and community leaders could take a page from this North Coast blueprint as they look for ways to tap the new federal dollars flowing from the Big Beautiful Bill right here at home.
Full List of Immediate Impact Award Projects
The 12 projects expected to receive direct funding are:
- Clinic-based community health worker senior visiting model – Columbia Gorge Health Council
- Increased naloxone access in rural Oregon – Partnership of Alano Club of Portland, Comagine Health and OHA Addiction Treatment Recovery & Prevention Services
- Chronic disease management training for community health workers and caregivers – Oregon Rural Practice-based Network
- Remote education on adverse childhood experiences for healthcare providers – Oregon Rural Practice-based Network through the Oregon ECHO Network
- Brain health promotion and dementia initiative – Portland State University
- School nursing access pilot – Oregon School Nurses Association with North Central, Southern Oregon and Wallowa County educational service districts
- Mobile obstetrics simulation unit – Oregon Perinatal Collaborative
- Up to 12 emergency medical services simulations – Healthcare Safety Solutions
- 24/7 obstetric addiction advice line for clinicians – Oregon Health & Science University’s Departments of Maternal & Fetal Medicine and Addiction
- Regional school-based substance use and mental health early intervention model – Mosaic Community Health, Sisters School District, Enterprise Middle/High School and Grant County Education Service District, supported by the Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission
- Expanded nurse home visiting – Family Connects Oregon (statewide program managed by OHA)
- New medical assistant education and career opportunity program for North Coast high school students – Northwest Regional Education Service District, Clatsop Community College, Seaside School District and Providence Seaside Hospital
OHA expects to finalize exact funding amounts by May after budget negotiations.
Additional Federal Funds on the Way
The nine Federally Recognized Tribes of Oregon are also set to receive $21.7 million this year through a dedicated Tribal Initiative created under the same federal program.
Organizations can still apply for larger Catalyst Awards through May 26. OHA plans to award about $80 million per year (for up to two years) to up to 80 projects focused on maternal and child health, behavioral health, aging in place or chronic disease.
By late summer, another $50.4 million in direct grants will go to:
- The state’s 35 rural hospitals (total $35 million)
- Oregon’s 100 certified rural health clinics (total $10 million)
- The state’s 33 local public health authorities (total $5 million)
The program is structured in two phases: quick-start projects and partnership building in 2026–2027, followed by larger regional transformation grants in 2028–2030. OHA is working with the Oregon Office of Rural Health to coordinate technical assistance and regional collaboration.
For Lincoln County and the North Coast, these new resources, made possible by the federal Rural Health Transformation Program in H.R. 1, arrive at a time when local hospitals, clinics and schools continue working to improve access to care. The Beacon will keep tracking how the dollars reach coastal communities.
More information and application details for future opportunities are available on the OHA Rural Health Transformation Program webpage.
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