MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WDNews) — Gov. Kay Ivey on Wednesday marked the first meeting of the Alabama Rural Health Transformation Advisory Group, a panel created by executive order to help guide the state’s rural health overhaul.
The meeting comes after Alabama was notified it would receive $203,404,327 in year-one federal funding to support the Alabama Rural Health Transformation Program. The funding was awarded under a federal initiative approved by Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump in July 2025.
“Today’s inaugural meeting is an important step toward implementation of our rural health strategy,” Ivey said. “The Trump Administration has entrusted Alabama with significant funding to make generational reforms to an important but struggling portion of our health care system. We have an excellent group of legislators to help us be successful, and I am excited to see what they come up with.”
The advisory group includes House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter, Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger, Sens. Greg Albritton, Clyde Chambliss, Donnie Chesteen and Bobby Singleton, along with Reps. Anthony Daniels, Jamie Kiel, Rex Reynolds and Pebblin Warren.
During the meeting, members selected Sen. Donnie Chesteen as chair and Rep. Jamie Kiel as vice chair. An overview of the program was presented by Kenneth Boswell, director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, which is responsible for administering the program.
Group members also discussed timelines, implementation processes and possible legislative actions to support the state’s rural healthcare efforts.
“In addition to ensuring our healthcare investments are efficient and sustainable, I hope this group will help develop legislative and other policy changes to ensure our initiatives are effective long-term,” Ivey said. “To turn around our rural healthcare system – to make it financially sustainable and available to deliver lifesaving care to all Alabamians – we must rethink how things have always been done.”
The governor echoed similar remarks during her State of the State address on Jan. 13, calling on healthcare leaders to “work with us in thinking outside-the-box and identifying new partners as we strive to improve health care in Alabama.”
The federal Rural Health Transformation Program is a five-year, $50 billion initiative designed to help states improve healthcare access, quality and outcomes in rural communities nationwide.
“The Alabama Rural Health Transformation Program represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to strengthen healthcare access in our rural communities,” Chesteen said. “By bringing together legislative leaders and healthcare stakeholders, we are positioning Alabama to make smart, sustainable reforms that will improve patient outcomes.”
Rep. Kiel said the program aims to ensure equal access to care across the state.
“Alabama’s Rural Health Transformation Program is about ensuring that every Alabamian, no matter where they live, has access to the quality care they deserve,” Kiel said. “We want to build a stronger, healthier future for our rural communities.”
Alabama’s approved plan includes 11 targeted initiatives focused on improving healthcare delivery and patient outcomes across rural areas of the state.
