Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith Secures $24.7 Million in Federal Grants for Rural Hospitals
Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced on September 15 that she helped secure $24.7 million in federal funding for the Rural Hospital Provider Assistance Program for Fiscal Year 2026. This program, administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration, recently approved grants for 132 hospitals nationwide. In Mississippi, 20 rural hospitals and health providers are set to receive a portion of these funds, totaling $3.75 million for the state, with each eligible facility receiving just over $187,500. Senator Hyde-Smith encouraged Mississippi providers to apply, acknowledging the challenges they face in maintaining services due to structural payment disadvantages linked to the state’s low average wage index, an issue she believes Congress must address. The funding is formula-based, distributed equally among eligible rural hospitals that apply.
