GEORGIA (WALB) - Federal money is now available to help keep Georgia’s rural hospitals open and staffed through a new grant program designed to help small hospitals maintain doctors, nurses, and essential services.

The Rural Hospital Provider Assistance Program offers federal funding to eligible rural hospitals across Georgia to help prevent closures. The deadline to apply is July 1, 2026, and applications must be submitted here.

Sen. Jon Ossoff’s office is encouraging hospitals to apply and is offering help with the process.

“Georgia’s rural hospitals have been under strain for years, made worse by recent cuts to Medicaid,” Ossoff said. “I helped pass into law this new federal funding to help strengthen Georgia’s rural hospitals.”

Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Let us know. Please include the article’s headline in your message.

To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WALB on Facebook and X (Twitter). For more South Georgia news, download the WALB News app from the Apple Store or Google Play.

Copyright 2026 WALB. All rights reserved.