Faulkner University Awarded More Than $3 Million to Transform Rural Health Care Access and Workforce Development in Alabama

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Faulkner University has been awarded more than $3 million through Alabama's Rural Health Transformation Program (ARHTP) to expand health care access and strengthen the health care workforce across rural Alabama.
 
Gov. Kay Ivey announced Monday the first round of ARHTP awards, which includes 138 grants totaling more than $144 million for health care providers, universities and other organizations serving rural communities throughout Alabama.
 
Faulkner University received two awards totaling $3.055 million through the Rural Health and Rural Workforce initiatives.

$2.08 Million — Eagle Care Mobile Health Network

Faulkner received $2.08 million through the Rural Health Initiative to establish the Eagle Care Mobile Health Network, an innovative model designed to bring health care directly to underserved rural communities.
 
The network will utilize two mobile health care units, supplemented by virtual visits, remote patient monitoring and coordinated care, to extend health care services beyond traditional clinical settings.
 
The initiative will serve communities across Bullock, Butler, Dallas, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Perry and Wilcox counties.
 
By combining mobile health care delivery with telehealth and remote monitoring technology, Eagle Care is designed to address some of the most persistent barriers to health care in rural Alabama, including transportation, geographic distance and limited access to providers.
 
The project will also create opportunities for Faulkner University health sciences students and faculty to engage directly with rural communities, strengthening the connection between health care education, workforce preparation and service.
 

$975,000 — Building Alabama's Rural Health Care Workforce

 
Faulkner was also awarded $975,000 through the Rural Workforce Initiative to establish a comprehensive rural health care workforce program.
 
The program will provide tuition assistance to eligible health profession students who commit to five years of employment in rural Alabama.
 
Funding will also support housing, travel and related expenses for students completing clinical rotations in rural communities, helping remove financial and logistical barriers that can make rural clinical education difficult for students.
 
The initiative encompasses 58 Alabama counties, creating opportunities to substantially expand the number of students who train in rural health care environments and ultimately build their careers in those communities.
 
Together, the two awards create a comprehensive approach to rural health care transformation: bringing care to communities today while developing the workforce needed to serve those communities tomorrow.
 
"Faulkner University has long believed that health care education should ultimately translate into service to others," said Faulkner University President Mitch Henry. "These investments will allow us to put that mission into action on an unprecedented scale. We are grateful to Governor Ivey, ADECA and our state and federal partners for entrusting Faulkner with the opportunity to serve rural Alabama and help develop a sustainable health care workforce for generations to come."
 
The initiatives will build upon the work already underway within Faulkner's College of Health Sciences, which educates future professionals in nursing, physician assistant studies, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology and other health-related disciplines.
 
"This funding gives us the opportunity to attack the rural health care challenge from both sides — access and workforce," said Dr. Cassie Boyd, dean of Faulkner University's College of Health Sciences. "We can bring services directly into communities that need them while giving students meaningful clinical experiences in rural Alabama and creating incentives for graduates to remain and practice there. The long-term goal is not simply to send health care into rural communities, but to help those communities build and sustain their own health care workforce."
 
The awards are part of Alabama's broader Rural Health Transformation Program, which includes 11 initiatives designed to improve health care access, quality and outcomes throughout the state.
 
Governor Kay Ivey announced that the first round of funding includes projects covering rural areas in every Alabama county.
 
"Alabama is serious about creating systematic changes through the ARHTP to ensure every citizen has access to quality care," Ivey said in announcing the awards.
 
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, or ADECA, administers the ARHTP in collaboration with state partners. The projects are supported through funding from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
 
For Faulkner, the investment represents a significant expansion of the university's commitment to health care education, community engagement and service to rural Alabama.
 
Through mobile health care delivery, technology, rural clinical education and workforce incentives, the university will work alongside health care providers and community partners to create sustainable solutions tailored to the needs of Alabama's rural communities.
  
About Faulkner

Faulkner University is a private, Christian university based in Montgomery, Alabama with a mission to provide an education anchored not only by intellect but also character and service. The Faulkner experience aims to educate the whole person. Serving both traditional and non-traditional students, the university is home to six colleges: the Alabama Christian College of Arts and Sciences, the Harris College of Business and Executive Education, the V.P. Black College of Biblical Studies, the College of Education, Faulkner Law and the College of Health Sciences. In addition to its main campus in Montgomery, Faulkner operates extension campuses in Birmingham, Huntsville and Mobile along with online degree programs.
 
For more information, visit www.faulkner.edu.