Idaho gets another $183 million for rural health care as Emmett's Valor Health plans its first-round projects

If you live near a small-town hospital, more help is on the way. Idaho will receive nearly $183 million for the second year of the federal Rural Health Transformation Program, and the state is expected to get nearly $1 billion over the program's duration. The money goes toward workforce recruitment, new care models and rural health infrastructure, among other goals.

Last week, Valor Health in Emmett was one of 18 of Idaho's 26 critical access hospitals picked for first-round money. CEO Brad Turpen says the first purchase will probably be a new CT machine to replace the 17-year-old one. The biggest share of its first-round funding is for a new electronic health record system.

• Deadline: first-round funds must be spent by end of September 2027
• Left out: 8 of Idaho's 27 rural facilities got no first-round money
• Next step: second round needs Idaho Legislature approval before funds go out

Turpen says close-to-home care matters for Gem County residents who can't easily make the drive to larger cities. Toni Lawson of the Idaho Hospital Association says some of the hospitals left out are reviewing their applications to see what to change before they apply again.