Maryland Rural Health, Workforce, and Agriculture Funding Discussion

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March 20, 2026

Media Contact:
Amanda Hils, Assistant Director of Media Relations, [email protected]

State agencies, partners discuss potential impact of federal funding on Maryland’s rural health care workforce and agriculture industry
$168 million investment will advance health care in rural Maryland communities

Baltimore, MD - Maryland’s health, agriculture and labor leaders today joined industry representatives, community partners, health departments, care providers, retailers, employers, farmers, policymakers and others to gather feedback and discuss the potential benefits of the Rural Health Transformation Program on Maryland’s Eastern Shore counties.

The Maryland Department of Health received $168 million in federal funding to strengthen and modernize health care in rural areas across the state. The Rural Health Transformation Program funding, which is renewable over five years, will serve to enhance the Moore-Miller Administration’s ongoing effort to bolster health care access and affordability in Maryland’s rural communities.

“Our rural communities face unique health care challenges and deserve an approach that addresses local needs with local solutions,” said Maryland Department of Health Secretary Dr. Meena Seshamani. “This investment will provide critical support to strengthen the local health care workforce, bolster current programs and implement evidence-based strategies that will have lasting impacts on the health and wellbeing of rural Maryland families.”

At the Eastern Shore Food Security Symposium in Wye Mills, Secretary Seshamani joined Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Atticks to discuss the vital role of agriculture and food systems in the state, enhancing food security among rural Marylanders and the future of rural health.

Approved Rural Health Transformation funds will be used to create post-harvest infrastructure for Maryland’s small farms, to increase the availability of more healthy, fresh food in local markets and grocers, especially in areas where need is greatest. Coupled with infrastructure investment, nutrition education and enhanced regional planning and coordination will also help increase demand for healthy food. The program is designed to help bolster Maryland’s agricultural economy and increase accessibility to more healthy food, so more Marylanders can lower their risk of chronic disease.

“The health of our rural communities depends as much on the strength of our farms as it does on the quality of the healthcare available to our farmers and their neighbors” said Maryland Secretary of Agriculture, Kevin Atticks. “ By integrating local agriculture into our healthcare strategies, we aren’t just feeding people—we are supporting the farmers who are the backbone of Maryland’s heritage while ensuring every rural family has access to the fresh, nutritious food they need to thrive.”

The Maryland Department of Health also joined the Eastern Shore Area Health Education Center (ESAHEC) to host a rural health workforce roundtable. The Office of U.S. Congressman Andy Harris joined the conversation at Chesapeake College, centered on identifying local health workforce needs and ways to address current challenges. Eastern Shore voices representing state partners, clinicians, behavioral health, dentists and more shared their continued commitment to partnering across the region to meet the consistent need to grow the health workforce to serve the medical, behavioral, and oral health needs of the region. The group also discussed opportunities to develop health care career pathways from entry level positions to advanced or skilled positions.

The Maryland Department of Health is partnering to enhance training, recruitment, and retention of future and practicing health care providers. With the Rural Health Transformation Program funding, Maryland will build on ongoing efforts to enhance the health workforce pipeline for rural areas by scaling up current training and retention programs for clinical providers and allied health professionals as well as apprenticeship programs.

The Maryland Department of Health worked extensively with the state’s rural community members and organizations to inform the award submission earlier this fall. Through an open request for information, public listening sessions, as well as numerous meetings and additional engagements, the state heard feedback and input from stakeholders representing wide interests across the state. The final proposal, submitted in November, reflected significant feedback from rural Marylanders and state partners. The first meeting of the Rural Health Transformation Committee was held in late February - members represent all five rural regions of the state. The Committee will advise on implementation of the funding and furthers the Department’s engagement with rural communities throughout the program.

The Maryland Rural Health Transformation Program is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $168,180,837.61 with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CMS/HHS, or the U.S. Government.​​​​​​​​​​​​

Updates including additional opportunities for funding, will be shared at health.maryland.gov.

The Maryland Department of Health is dedicated to protecting and improving the health and safety of all Marylanders through disease prevention, access to care, quality management and community engagement.
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