Nevada invests over $50 million to strengthen rural healthcare workforce and expand access across the state

The Nevada Health Authority (NVHA) recently announced more than $50 million in new Rural Health Transformation Program awards, marking one of the state’s largest investments in growing and sustaining the rural healthcare workforce. Funding supports three major areas: rural medical residencies, provider recruitment and retention, and rural healthcare apprenticeships and training.

“Ensuring Nevada has a strong healthcare workforce has been central to my work as Governor because access to quality care depends on the people who provide it,” said Governor Joe Lombardo. “These awards expand access to care, grow the provider pipeline, and support the hospitals and clinics that rural and Tribal communities rely on every day.”

NVHA awarded $4.8 million in rural medical residency investments to increase rural residency programs and focus on improving and upskilling the current rural workforce. This includes the creation of a new rural obstetrics fellowship program to increase the number of providers in rural Nevada able to provide obstetric care, the development of a new advanced practice registered nursing fellowship program that allows currently practicing nurses in rural Nevada to obtain dual certification in primary care and/or behavioral health, the establishment of a new rural family medicine residency track in Fallon, and the creation of a new statewide Rural Graduate Medical Education Consortium to support rural hospitals with development of future rural residency programs.

Provider recruitment and retention support remained in high demand, with $41.9 million requested and $32.3 million awarded. Funding will bring primary care, pediatric, behavioral health, OB/GYN, orthopedic, and family medicine providers to communities including Mesquite, Pahrump, Elko, Tonopah, Fallon, Incline Village, and Tribal reservations. Additional awards expand dental services, strengthen Tribal dental care, increase behavioral health capacity, and enhance care coordination, EMS leadership development, and statewide specialty tele-mentoring.

NVHA also awarded $14.3 million in apprenticeship and training investments to modernize rural clinical training and build long-term workforce pipelines. Projects expand rural simulation centers; establish a new Medical Laboratory Scientist program; launch rural nursing apprenticeships; advance EMTs to paramedics; and build specialized rural training pathways in geriatrics, imaging, social work, dental assisting, behavioral health, public health, and early childhood education. The awards also support K–12 healthcare career pipelines to strengthen Nevada’s “grow-your-own” rural workforce.

“By aligning recruitment, training, and residency pathways, we’re directing resources where they are needed most,” said Dr. Malinda Southard, NVHA Deputy Director. “These investments strengthen rural healthcare access and ensure high-quality care closer to home.”

These grants are funded through a five-year federal initiative created under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025, which provides $50 billion nationwide to improve rural healthcare. Nevada received $180 million in the program’s first year.