Our goal is to use this money, as much as a billion dollars for Oregon over the next five years, to develop ways to provide better care, less costly care, closer to home, and delivered in a way that works for rural communities.
Use federal rural health transformation funding to develop ways to provide better, less costly care closer to home for rural communities in Oregon.
Occurrences
Evidence
legacy_unverified · Source version not recorded · locator unknown
OHA reported $97.1 million more in federal Rural Health Transformation funding for 136 projects in every Oregon county, bringing 2026 awards to about $175.3 million.
legacy_unverified · Source version not recorded · locator unknown
Bentz's office said Oregon's $197 million 2026 RHTP share had been allocated and that Bentz's team worked with the White House, CMS, providers, and clinicians on the funding.
Assessments
Oregon's 2026 federal Rural Health Transformation funding was allocated and OHA had awarded about $175.3 million to rural health projects across every Oregon county by July 9, 2026. Bentz was in federal office during the relevant period, and his office credibly claims his team worked with federal officials, CMS, providers, and clinicians to secure the program and Oregon allocation. That materially advances the promised use of federal rural health funding. However, the grants were still being finalized or implemented, and there is not yet evidence that the projects have delivered better, less costly care closer to home. Credit is therefore partial rather than fully delivered.