Hospital Unit Support Specialist

Ivey announces first grants of new rural healthcare program. Gov. Kay Ivey announced 138 rural healthcare grants totaling more than $144 million, including awards for providers and projects serving Lowndes County. Gov. Kay IveyPhoto submitted | THE LOWNDES SIGNAL Governor Kay Ivey on Monday announced the awarding of 138 grants worth a total of more than $144 million to healthcare providers and institutions throughout the state as part of the Alabama Rural Health Transformation Program (ARHTP). Several organizations serving Lowndes County are among the grant recipients. Alabama Primary Health Care Association received $867,102 to establish a shared rural health technology and care coordination framework to strengthen collaboration among participating health centers, rural clinics, hospitals and community mental health providers in 43 counties including Crenshaw and Lowndes. Another provider, Haynes Ambulance of Alabama Inc. was granted $283,314 to strengthen cybersecurity and information technology systems across its rural emergency medical service stations to protect patient information and improve operational reliability in eight counties: Bullock, Covington, Crenshaw, Elmore, Lowndes, Macon, Pike, Tallapoosa. The funds awarded Monday, Aug. 24, will support projects covering rural areas in each Alabama county to improve healthcare access, quality and outcomes. "Alabama is serious about creating systematic changes through the ARHTP to ensure every citizen has access to quality care. This program is enabling institutions covering every part of the state to improve healthcare for Alabamians through projects that are both innovative and sustainable," Ivey said. "From the federal policymakers and state administrators to our professional healthcare leaders, I commend all the thoughtful work dedicated to ensuring the success of this program." The University of South Alabama earned a grant of $1.51 million to establish a regional healthcare technology and interoperability network serving 10 rural hospitals across south Alabama through a coordinated hub-and-spoke model that combines shared technology services, enhanced interoperability, cybersecurity modernization and standardized operational platforms to improve provider sustainability and patient care in 17 counties: Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Dallas, Escambia, Greene, Hale, Lowndes, Marengo, Monroe, Perry, Sumter, Washington and Wilcox. Alabama Vascular Specialists got $241,894 to expand vascular specialty services at its Selma satellite clinic by purchasing ultrasound, circulation-testing, and accessible examination equipment. The new equipment will allow the clinic to increase diagnostic testing capacity, improve patient triage, and expand clinic frequency from one to two days per week residents in communities including those in Lowndes County. The ARHTP plan was developed by a team that included members from the Governor's Office, the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA), the Alabama Department of Finance, the Alabama Medicaid Agency and the Alabama State Health Planning and Development Agency. ADECA administers the ARHTP, which includes 11 initiatives. During this initial round of grant funding, five of those initiatives are being funded, including Rural Health, Rural Workforce, Mental Health, Rural Health Practice and Collaborative Electronic Health Record (EHR), IT and Cybersecurity. Grant awards for additional initiatives are in process and will be announced at a later date. Faulkner University gained an award of $2.08 million to establish the Eagle Care Mobile Health Network using two mobile healthcare units, virtual visits, remote health monitoring and care coordination to bring ongoing services directly to underserved rural communities in Bullock, Butler, Dallas, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Perry and Wilcox counties. UAB Montgomery was granted $2.09 million to implement the Lowndes County "Street MAP" Clinic to expand access to healthcare services for underserved residents in Lowndes County. The projects are supported by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $203,404,326.54 with 100 percent funding by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CMS/HHS, or the U.S. Government. "The Trump Administration's Rural Health Transformation Program is based on one simple idea: your access to quality health care shouldn't depend on your ZIP code," said Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. "Funding new approaches to expand access to both primary and specialty care is a critical step toward achieving that vision for Alabamians, and I look forward to seeing RHTP investments drive equally transformative innovations for rural communities nationwide." Under the rural workforce initiative, Faulkner University got $975,000 to establish a rural healthcare workforce program that provides tuition assistance to eligible health profession students who commit to five years of employment in rural Alabama and support housing, travel and related costs for students completing rural clinical rotations in 58 counties including Butler, Crenshaw and Lowndes counties. Regional Training Institute was awarded $1.38 million to purchase and equip two mobile training units to bring hands-on emergency medical services training to rural residents who may have difficulty traveling to a training location. The project will serve 36 counties including Lowndes and Crenshaw. The initiative granted the University of South Alabama $1.25 million to strengthen the rural healthcare workforce by expanding physician residency training in rural settings and developing training and support for community health workers, telehealth implementation and healthcare revenue-cycle staff in 17 counties including Butler, Crenshaw and Lowndes. As part of the program's mental health initiative AltaPointe Health Systems received $935,895 to establish the Alabama School Mental Health Network to expand school-based mental health crisis services through a coordinated telehealth model, helping students in rural communities receive timely support during a behavioral health crisis in 44 Alabama counties including Lowndes. The initiative also included an award to Montgomery Area Mental Health Authority DBA Carastar Health for $1.04 million to expand behavioral health services and strengthen operational infrastructure to support Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic certification and improve access to coordinated care in rural communities in Elmore and Lowndes counties. "To say that there is great interest in improving rural healthcare in Alabama is an understatement. This announcement comes at the end of a process that included six packed-house informational meetings in different locations throughout the state, five grant application workshops and hundreds of grant applications," said ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell. "I appreciate the confidence that Gov. Ivey and the Legislature have in ADECA's ability to administer this important program, and we are excited to now see so many projects moving forward." Visit governor.alabama.gov/newsroom to read the full press release on the Governor's website detailing the healthcare providers and institutions receiving grants for projects under each of the five initiatives being funded, with grant amounts and the counties served. Story Tags

AltaPointe Health expands Access to Care, serving more individuals across Alabama. MOBILE, Ala., April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - AltaPointe Health continues to strengthen its commitment to expanding access to high-quality mental health care, ensuring more individuals and families receive the support they need. Recent data highlights significant growth in services. Data shows services increased from 1.4 million in 2023 to over 1.9 million in FY 2025, indicating higher demand and broader access to care. AltaPointe's Access to Care team plays a critical role in connecting people to services quickly and efficiently. In 2025 alone, the team answered more than 66,000 calls during business hours, along with over 6,000 after-hours crisis calls, demonstrating the growing demand for mental health support. Additionally, more than 8,000 calls were answered through the 988 Lifeline Center, reinforcing the organization's role as a vital resource for individuals in crisis across the region. AltaPointe provides a comprehensive system of care, including 22 Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs), eight Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), two psychiatric hospitals, and more than 100 programs across seven counties. This wide network allows the organization to meet patients where they are, offering both behavioral and primary care services in a coordinated approach. The organization's continued growth reflects a broader understanding of the importance of mental health. From crisis intervention to ongoing treatment, AltaPointe remains focused on delivering compassionate, patient-centered care. "Mental health care is vital to the overall health and strength of our communities. As awareness continues to grow, more individuals are reaching out for support," said Tuerk Schlesinger, CEO of AltaPointe Health. "Our dedicated team is committed to providing high-quality, compassionate care that empowers individuals on their journey to mental and physical wellness, while working to remove barriers and ensure help is accessible whenever it's needed most." AltaPointe Health encourages anyone in need of mental health services to reach out at (251) 450-2211. Help is also available 24/7 through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. About AltaPointe AltaPointe Health is an extensive healthcare system providing behavioral and primary healthcare. Each year it provides more than 1 million services to 45,000 patients across Alabama. A national leader in behavioral health for more than 60 years, AltaPointe expanded its service array in 2018 to include primary care. Its team of 28 physicians and 16 physician extenders renders the medical care services throughout the organization and serves as the administration and faculty for the University of South Alabama, College of Medicine-Department of Psychiatry. Learn more about AltaPointe's services for adults and children atwww.AltaPointe.org. SOURCE AltaPointe Health Systems