Miller-Meeks Joins Governor Reynolds to Announce Major Milestone for Rural Health Care in Iowa

MUSCATINE, Iowa — Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks, M.D. joined Governor Kim Reynolds in Muscatine to announce that Iowa has become the first state in the nation to fully allocate its first-year funding from the Rural Health Transformation Program created through the Working Families Tax Cuts.

The program is expected to deliver more than $1 billion to Iowa over five years to strengthen rural health care, improve patient outcomes, expand the health care workforce, and support innovative health care solutions across the state. Iowa has already allocated all $209 million of its first-year funding toward cancer research and prevention, workforce development, hospital grants, and other critical health care initiatives.

"This is exactly why I fought for the Working Families Tax Cuts," said Dr. Miller-Meeks. "Not only did we deliver historic tax relief for Iowa families, we secured transformative investments that will strengthen rural health care for generations to come. Iowa is leading the nation, and we're just getting started."

During the event, Governor Reynolds also announced a $50 million investment to expand physician residency programs across Iowa, a key step toward addressing the state's physician shortage.

"As a physician, I know that access to quality health care can mean the difference between life and death," Dr. Miller-Meeks said. "For too many rural Iowans, that access has become increasingly difficult to find. Iowa ranks near the bottom nationally in physician availability, and that must change."

Research consistently shows physicians are far more likely to practice where they complete their residency training. Expanding residency opportunities in Iowa will help keep more doctors in the state and ensure more families can access quality care closer to home.

"I've spent decades caring for patients across Iowa," Dr. Miller-Meeks continued. "I've seen patients drive hours for specialty care and watched rural hospitals struggle to recruit providers. Rural health care isn't a political issue for me—it's personal. That's why I will continue fighting to bring resources home and ensure every Iowan has access to the care they deserve."

The Rural Health Transformation Program represents one of the largest investments in rural health care in Iowa history and is expected to continue delivering resources to communities across the state over the next five years.

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