Wednesday roundtable on rural health initiatives seen as vital to Rochester area

Executive Councilor Joe Kenney will be speaking at the Governors Inn on Wednesday regarding rural health initiatives that are covered by the One Big Beautiful Bill (Courtesy photos)

ROCHESTER - New Hampshire Executive Councilor Joe Kenney, who represents Greater Rochester, will be in Rochester on Wednesday to host a roundtable on Rural Health Initiatives.

The discussion will focus on rural health initiatives and explore opportunities under the recently enacted-by-Republicans "One Big Beautiful Bill" Act, which allocates $50 billion for the Rural Health Transformation Program.

Participants will discuss strategies to improve access to healthcare, leverage emerging technologies such as AI for prevention and chronic disease management, foster partnerships among rural hospitals and providers, and address challenges, including hospital closures and clinician recruitment, according to a release from the state.

This event aims to help stakeholders understand how New Hampshire can develop and submit a state transformation plan to secure federal funding before the Dec. 31 deadline.

Another executive councilor who will be on hand is John Stephen, who represents the Greater Manchester area and is a former New Hampshire Health & Human Services Commissioner with decades of experience consulting on HHS projects across a dozen states.

Additional participants will include local healthcare providers, state officials, and community leaders.

The forum is vital to Rochester because the One Big Beautiful Bill provides $10 billion annually from 2026-2030 for states with approved rural health plans, making this roundtable a timely platform to discuss actionable steps for enhancing rural healthcare access, quality, and sustainability in New Hampshire. Attendees will also gain insight into federal requirements, potential funding allocations based on rural population metrics, and innovative models such as telehealth, value-based care, and technology-driven solutions.

The forum will be held from 3-5 p.m. at The Governor's Inn, 78 Wakefield St. in Rochester.

Anyone who wants to attend is asked to RSVP to John Gagner at jgagner@straffordcap.org or Chris Maidment at info@johnstephennh.com.