Gov. Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services announced the intent to award more than $78.6 million through two competitive grant programs under the Iowa Healthy Hometowns Project, part of the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Rural Health Transformation Program. The grants, which are the first state awards under the national initiative, will support medical equipment upgrades and workforce recruitment in rural communities. Nearly $66 million will fund new diagnostic and surgical technology for hospitals, including robotic systems and imaging equipment, while $12.6 million will go toward recruiting physicians, nurses, and other health professionals to underserved areas. Iowa received $209 million in total federal funding for the program’s first year, with additional grant rounds expected later in 2026. The lists of grant awardees is available on the Healthy Hometowns webpage.