$40M in federal health grants available to help rural hospitals upgrade equipment

The North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services announced Friday $40 million in new grants for updating clinical equipment for rural hospitals through the Rural Health Transformation Program.

The new grants, part of the state’s $200 million allocation in 2026 from the passage of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act last year, must go to rural critical access or emergency hospitals or outpatient care units in rural areas.

The funding can be used to purchase equipment that specializes in advanced imaging, emergency stabilization tools and surgical, obstetric and oncology technology.

“When hospitals have the tools they need locally, patients and families spend less time traveling for care and communities are better positioned to remain healthy and strong,” said interim HHS Commissioner Pat Traynor in a news release.

The department said it anticipates dividing the funds into 20 awards of about $2 million each.

Traynor said the awards will allow local health care units to provide better service, closer to people’s homes.

Some projects covered by the grants could include purchases of:

• MRI, CT scan and ultrasound equipment.
• Emergency and trauma stabilization tools.
• Surgical and minimally invasive procedure technology.
• Labor and delivery and neonatal equipment.
• Cardiology and respiratory care systems.
• Rehabilitation and post-acute care equipment.
• Oncology treatment technology.
• Infection prevention and patient safety systems.

A full list of eligible projects for the grant funding can be found on the HHS website. A technical assistance call for interested applicants will be held at noon June 8 with HHS officials.

Applications for the new grants are due June 30.