INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WOWO)— Eight regions across Indiana are competing for a combined $120 million in state funding aimed at transforming healthcare access in rural communities through expanded partnerships, new technology and locally driven solutions.

The funding comes through Gov. Mike Braun’s Grow Rural Opportunities for Well-being, or GROW, grant program, a central part of Indiana’s effort to improve healthcare affordability and availability outside the state’s urban areas.

“Through the GROW grants and the Rural Health Transformation Program, Indiana is making historic investments to ensure every Hoosier can access quality care close to home,” Braun said. “By empowering local coalitions and expanding innovative solutions, we are transforming rural healthcare and delivering real results for families across our state.”

The eight grant applications were submitted July 1 after months of collaboration among rural healthcare providers, emergency medical service organizations, community groups, local foundations and other regional partners.

The proposals are part of the federal Rural Health Transformation Program, which provides Indiana with nearly $207 million during the first year of a five-year initiative. The program is being administered by the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration and the Indiana Department of Health under Braun’s administration.

The GROW regional grants represent about 60% of the state’s Rural Health Transformation Program funding and are designed to address several major rural healthcare challenges, including improving outcomes for mothers and infants, expanding access to medical care, increasing availability of nutritious food, reducing chronic disease and strengthening the rural healthcare workforce.

The submitted proposals are now under review, with grant awards expected to be announced by Sept. 1.

Indiana State Health Commissioner Dr. Lindsay Weaver said state officials are reviewing the proposals to ensure the funding produces measurable improvements.

“Our team is scrutinizing the proposals to ensure this funding is used responsibly to fulfill the mission of RHTP,” Weaver said. “I am excited about the promise of these proposals to bring meaningful improvement to the delivery of care and future rural health outcomes.”

Indiana Family and Social Services Administration Secretary Mitch Roob said rural communities face significant healthcare challenges and that the grants provide an opportunity for local organizations to test new approaches.

“Indiana’s current healthcare cost growth trajectory is unsustainable, especially for our rural communities,” Roob said. “The GROW grants give us a rare and important opportunity to invest in the future of rural healthcare by allowing local partners to test innovative solutions tailored to the challenges they face every day.”

Roob said the program is designed to allow communities to identify strategies that work locally while creating a more affordable and effective healthcare system.

Among the proposed projects are efforts to expand early prenatal care by helping pregnant women overcome barriers involving transportation, scheduling and insurance coverage.

Other proposals include food-as-medicine programs that would connect families managing chronic illnesses with nutrition education and medically tailored produce boxes.

Several regions are also seeking funding for expanded maternal healthcare services, including home-based visits, mobile health programs, telehealth prenatal check-ins and remote monitoring for pregnancy-related conditions such as hypertension and gestational diabetes.

Additional proposals would create coordinated maternal health systems connecting medical care with nutrition programs, transportation assistance, behavioral health resources and community outreach.

The grant applications also include plans for a multi-county specialty telehealth network that would connect rural clinics directly with medical specialists, reducing the need for patients to travel long distances for care.

Other ideas include creating care navigation networks that connect hospitals, health departments, EMS agencies, schools, behavioral health providers and social service organizations into a coordinated support system.

Some communities are also proposing to convert existing public spaces, including rural libraries, community centers and extension offices, into local telehealth access points.

The GROW applications are part of a broader Rural Health Transformation Program strategy that includes 11 additional statewide initiatives focused on healthcare innovation, infrastructure improvements, strategic partnerships and workforce development.

State officials said the goal is to use regional collaboration and targeted investment to create long-term improvements in rural healthcare delivery.

The Rural Health Transformation Program is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services with a financial assistance award totaling $206,927,896.80, funded entirely by CMS/HHS. Officials noted that the views expressed through the program materials do not necessarily represent the official views or endorsement of CMS, HHS or the federal government.