February 3, 2026
OSKALOOSA, Iowa — Mahaska Health’s physician and nursing care teams have been awarded more than $3.3 million through the Iowa Rural Health Transformation Program to support advanced imaging technology and provider recruitment serving rural communities across southeastern Iowa. The funding is part of a statewide initiative announced by Governor Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services.
Iowa is the first state in the nation to receive federal funding through the Rural Health Transformation Program, made possible through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and administered through the Iowa Healthy Hometowns Project.
Mahaska Health was awarded three grant applications, supporting continued investment in advanced technology and workforce recruitment to strengthen access to care across the region. The awards include $3,122,894 for a new PET/CT system with cardiac imaging capability, along with $120,000 to support recruitment for a third OB/GYN physician and $120,000 to support recruitment of a third General Surgery Physician Assistant.
The PET/CT technology investment provides earlier detection, more precise diagnosis, and coordinated treatment planning for patients receiving cancer care. This advanced imaging technology provides clearer visualization of cancer tumors to support informed clinical decision-making across oncology services. Clinicians frequently use the PET/CT in oncology for detection and determination of cancer staging, evaluation of response to therapy, and assessment for recurrence. In cardiology, the technology assesses quantitative blood flow to assist in the diagnosis of myocardial ischemia.
Central to this multidisciplinary approach is Mahaska Health’s Cancer Tumor Board, the first tumor board established in Iowa by a critical access hospital. The tumor board medical team meets monthly and brings together specialists from around the state in surgical and medical oncology, general surgery, radiology, pathology, radiation oncology, genetics, along with care coordination, social work, nutritionists and support services, to review cases and coordinate individualized treatment planning. This collaborative physician peer-to-peer model supports timely access to care and allows patients to benefit from informed clinical decision-making through coordinated, multidisciplinary expertise significantly reducing diagnosis to treatment times.
Workforce recruitment funding will support continued growth in obstetrics, fertility, surgical and gynecological services at Mahaska Health, expanding access to essential care for patients and families across the region amid ongoing labor and delivery unit closures across Iowa.
Iowa Department of Health and Human Services Rural Health Transformation Funding has also renewed Mahaska Health’s four Centers of Excellence financial support in Maternity Care, Cardiology, General Surgery, and Surgical & Medical Oncology. These recognitions acknowledge sustained performance and adherence to evidence-based standards and reinforce our physician and nurse led dedication to compassionate care from trusted health experts for patients and families across the region. We are grateful to Iowa HHS for their support of vital healthcare projects for Iowans.
About Mahaska Health:
Mahaska Health is committed to providing compassionate, patient-centered care, state-of-the-art facilities, and outstanding healthcare to Oskaloosa, surrounding communities, and the southeast Iowa region. With a caring and compassionate team of professionals, Mahaska Health is a physician and nurse-led hospital dedicated to the health and well-being of the communities they serve with kindness and empathy serving patients from more than 35 counties, providing specialized care through collaboration, clinical expertise, and community-focused support.
