Rural areas such as Door and Kewaunee counties received a major boost Tuesday after the Wisconsin Department of Health Services announced a first-year award of $203.6 million from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services as part of the Rural Health Transformation Program.

In November, DHS applied for $1 billion in funding — $200 million annually — from CMS in hopes of strengthening the state’s health care workforce, driving technology and innovation, and transforming care through partnerships.

“By securing these new investments for Wisconsin, we will be able to continue building upon our efforts to help Wisconsinites in rural areas and communities get the care they need closer to home,” Gov. Tony Evers said in a statement following the announcement. “We are investing in a future where the right providers — empowered by the right technology and supported by the right networks — can help build healthier communities, a stronger workforce and a thriving economy.”

The funding could benefit rural hospitals such as Door County Medical Center, which has worked to stay ahead in a marketplace where other facilities have significantly cut services or closed altogether. In November, Door County Medical Center President and CEO Brian Stephens said he hoped an influx of federal funding would allow his hospital — and others like it — to continue investing in the communities they serve.

Out of Wisconsin’s 72 counties, 40 are federally designated as mental health professional shortage areas, 37 as primary care shortage areas and 34 as dental care shortage areas, according to DHS data. It is not yet known how much funding the state will receive from the program over the next four years.