The money will boost healthcare access for people living in rural parts of New Jersey. This marks the first batch of awards through the state's five-year Rural Health Transformation Program. "These grants will help strengthen hospitals, community health providers, and the healthcare workforce that families rely on every day." Seven counties meet the state's rural definition: Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, Hunterdon, Salem, Sussex, and Warren. Rural residents travel farther to see doctors and suffer higher rates of smoking, drug use, and certain cancers, a state health assessment found.