Governor Kay Ivey signed an order on Thursday creating the Alabama Rural Health Transformation Advisory Group, which is designed to “hit the ground running” if Alabama secures federal approval for a sweeping new rural-health overhaul tied to President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill.
“The creation of the Rural Health Transformation Advisory Group enables Alabama to hit the ground running once the state’s new comprehensive rural healthcare strategy is greenlighted by the Trump Administration,” said Governor Ivey.
“The members of this group will help ensure our programs initiate positive transformations to the way Alabamians receive quality healthcare and that those transformative investments and policies are sustainable.”
The group is comprised of five members of the Alabama Senate and five members of the Alabama House of Representatives as selected by the governor.
Additionally, the director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) shall serve as a member, as well as the division chief of ADECA’s Federal Initiatives and Recreation Division (or the Division administering ARHTP), who shall serve as secretary.
Governor Ivey has selected the following officials to serve as advisory group members:
- Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville)
- Senate Pro Tem Garlan Gudger (R-Cullman)
- State Sen. Greg Albritton (R-Atmore)
- State Sen. Clyde Chambliss (R-Prattville)
- State Sen. Donnie Chesteen (R-Geneva)
- Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton (D-Greensboro)
- House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels (D-Huntsville)
- State Rep. Jamie Kiel (R-Russellville)
- State Rep. Rex Reynolds (R-Huntsville)
- State Rep. Pebblin Warren (D-Tuskegee)
Alabama’s ARHTP is built around 11 coordinated initiatives intended to stabilize rural facilities, expand access, and improve outcomes, with a heavy emphasis on telehealth, shared services, and workforce development.
Those include:
- Shared EHR/IT/cybersecurity support for rural providers
- A statewide telehealth/tele-consult network Maternal & fetal digital regionalization (including telerobotic ultrasound)
- A rural workforce initiative
- Cancer digital regionalization and screening expansion
- Expanded simulation training
- Statewide EMS trauma and stroke routing improvements
- An EMS “treat-in-place” pilot to reduce unnecessary ER burden
- Behavioral health expansion (including school-based tele-mental health and CCBHC growth)
- Community medicine outreach (mobile wellness and nutrition)
- A rural health practice track (including dental access)
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, supported by President Trump and passed by Congress in July, includes a multi-year, $50 billion federal Rural Health Transformation Program that empowers states to strengthen rural communities across America by improving healthcare access, quality and outcomes by transforming the healthcare delivery system.
In November, in compliance with the federal law, Governor Ivey announced that Alabama’s Rural Health Transformation Program plan was submitted to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for approval.
According to her office, Governor Ivey also sought input from dozens of stakeholders around the state and established a 20-person workgroup of healthcare experts and lawmakers to help inform the process and develop the plan.
Funding awards from CMS are expected to be announced by the end of the year.
Grayson Everett is the editor in chief of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270.
