The positions the West Virginia Department of Health, based at One Davis Square in Charleston, West Virginia, is hiring to oversee the Rural Health Transformation Program will be “temporary in nature” and the salary range for the positions has not yet been finalized, an agency spokesman said. (Photo by Leann Ray/West Virginia Watch)
The employees the West Virginia Department of Health plans to hire to oversee the state-funded Rural Health Transformation Program will be “temporary in nature” and the salary range for the positions has not yet been determined, an agency spokesman said.
“The Rural Health Transformation Program is intentionally structured as a temporary, performance-based initiative rather than a permanent extension of state government,” Gailyn Markham, communications director for the state Department of Health, told West Virginia Watch in an email.
Governor Patrick Morrisey’s office announced on December 29th that West Virginia had received $199 million for 2026 from the Trump administration’s Rural Health Transformation Fund.
“The $199 million 2026 investment provides a transformative foundation to improve health outcomes, expand access to health care and strengthen families and communities across West Virginia,” Morrisey said in a Press release at the time. “This award enables our state to provide better care close to home and build a healthier future for generations to come. It is also the highest per capita award of any state West Virginia touches.”
The federal fund is part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which Trump signed into law on July 4, 2025. The program will distribute a $50 billion fund to approved states over the next five years, with $10 billion distributed each year beginning in fiscal year 2026.
Congress added the Rural Health Fund to the bill because of concerns that cuts to Medicaid funding in the bill could lead to rural hospital closures. According to the West Virginia Hospital Association, once fully implemented, the Republican megabill will cost state hospitals $1 billion per year.
In a news release last month, Jim Kaufman, president of the hospital association, said the organization was grateful for Morrisey’s “visionary leadership” in securing critical resources for the state’s rural health system.
“This investment of nearly $1 billion over five years represents a transformative opportunity to address long-standing challenges in rural health care delivery,” Kaufman said in the statement.
The same day Morrisey announced federal funding for this year, the state Department of Health announced it would hire one Team of nine employees for the positions of director and deputy director, along with seven program managers who oversee various aspects of the state plan.
The positions are not listed on the West Virginia Division of Personnel website. In every job advertisement on the job search site Indeed.comThe positions are described as “at will” for up to five years, subject to continued funding from the Rural Health Transformation Program.
“Compensation will be commensurate with public service, experience and leadership-level qualifications,” the job postings state. “This position includes full state benefits and travel reimbursement for statewide engagement.”
For the director position, the state is seeking someone with a master’s or doctoral degree in public health, health administration, business, medicine or a related field and at least 10 years of leadership experience in health system transformation, public health administration or huge program management, among other qualifications.
Among Morriseys plan for the federal program, Schools, libraries and other community facilities in rural West Virginia would be equipped for telemedicine operate. The state also plans to operate the funds to address the health workforce shortage by recruiting high school students into health professions, adding health faculty at regional and technical colleges, and using financial incentives to attract and retain providers in rural areas.
Another initiative, the Rural Health Link, would give patients access to transportation to medical appointments using public buses, rideshare services and volunteer drivers.
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