State Sen. April Weaver, (R-Brierfield), has been chosen to help steer a statewide effort aimed at strengthening healthcare access in Alabama’s rural communities.
She will serve as co-chair of the Rural Roadmap Initiative’s healthcare committee, a panel tasked with drafting policies and legislation to address longstanding gaps in rural medical care. Weaver will serve as co-chair with State Rep. Phillip Rigsby (R-Monrovia).
The Rural Roadmap Initiative operates under the Alabama Growth Alliance, a public-private partnership established by the Legislature to encourage economic development in underserved parts of the state. Alongside healthcare, the initiative targets improvements in infrastructure, workforce development, business growth, and overall quality of life.
Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger, (R-Cullman), who oversees the initiative, praised Weaver’s appointment.
“President Trump appointed April Weaver to direct healthcare policy for the entire southeastern U.S. during his first term in office, and the same talents and abilities he identified in her will now be used to make our already great state even better,” Gudger said.
“Her knowledge, her background, her hands-on experience, her leadership, her compassion, and her deep roots in rural Alabama all combine to make Sen. Weaver the perfect choice to lead this healthcare committee.”
Alabama’s rural healthcare system has been under strain for more than a decade. Since 2011, at least six rural hospitals have closed due to financial pressures. Of the 52 facilities that remain, about half are considered vulnerable, with an estimated 20 at risk of shutting down in the near future.
Weaver’s committee will focus on strategies to keep these hospitals open and sustainable. Other areas of emphasis include recruiting and retaining healthcare workers, improving broadband and telehealth services, and ensuring rural communities have access to essential care.
A registered nurse with years of experience in both healthcare administration and policy, Weaver previously held a federal leadership role during former President Donald Trump’s administration.
She was appointed Region IV director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, overseeing agency operations in eight southeastern states — Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina and South Carolina — along with six federally recognized Indian tribes in the region.
In 2023, Weaver passed the Physician Workforce Act to enable doctors who are licensed to practice medicine in other states to more easily practice in Alabama. By 2025, Alabama ranked among the top five states attracting out-of-state doctors.
During the 2025 legislative session, Weaver helped to successfully advanced the Rural Hospital Investment Tax Credit.
The measure created a dollar-for-dollar state tax credit for contributions made by individuals, businesses, and corporations to rural medical centers in Alabama, providing much-needed financial support for struggling hospitals.
Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
