The Rural Hospital Provider Assistance Program is granting nearly $25 million to 132 hospitals in rural areas across Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced the winners on September 10.

The goal of these awards is to boost access to care in rural areas, help with medical staff retention, and address financial challenges that might otherwise cause the hospitals to close. HHS said, “This support helps ensure rural communities can continue to access affordable care when and where they need it.”

These grants follow another rural health investment HHS announced earlier this week, which will help establish 15 new physician residency programs across rural communities in 14 states.