Sen. Jon Ossoff announced federal awards on September 14, 2026, sending funding to 18 rural hospitals in Georgia through the Rural Hospital Provider Assistance Program (RHPAP).
The senator’s press release says he helped secure the federal funding as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and that the awards will support staffing and critical services at hospitals across the state.
The Ossoff office lists the 18 named hospitals slated to receive assistance including AdventHealth Murray in Chatsworth, Grady General in Cairo and Union General in Blairsville; the release frames the support as a response to recent Medicaid cuts.
The senator’s statement cites federal guidance saying awarded hospitals “may use this funding to retain physicians, nurses, and other health care providers, allowing hospitals to preserve essential services, including emergency, inpatient, and other critical health care services,” attributing that text to the Department of Health and Human Services.
The awards come from the Rural Hospital Provider Assistance Program, the Federal Register notice for which was published April 29, 2026, and which makes $25 million available for payments to eligible rural hospitals, according to the Federal Register entry and HRSA descriptions of the program.
Ossoff’s press release and federal materials say the $25 million is being distributed among qualifying hospitals; the announcement gives an expected per-hospital figure of roughly $187,500 based on the program’s initial allocation and eligibility list.
Advocates and local outlets have covered the program since spring, noting RHPAP is formula-based and intended to prevent closures by funding operations, telehealth, equipment and workforce retention, as described in the federal notice and HRSA material.
The announcement ties the grants to earlier work by Ossoff to deliver equipment and infrastructure upgrades to rural Georgia hospitals and frames the awards as part of continuing efforts to shore up health care access in smaller communities.
Sources
- U.S. Senator for Georgia Jon Ossoff — press release listing the 18 hospitals, the program name, the senator’s statement and the per-hospital figure.
- Federal Register — “Rural Hospital Provider Assistance Program” Federal Register notice, Apr. 29, 2026, describing the $25 million program and eligibility.
- HRSA / HHS — program description and HHS materials explaining allowable uses of RHPAP awards for staffing, telehealth and equipment.
