Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds endorses Zach Lahn and announces rural physician training fund

Governor Kim Reynolds visited Howard County, Iowa, where she endorsed Republican Zach Lahn in the upcoming gubernatorial race, contrasting his platform with Democrat Rob Sand and highlighting her administration’s education voucher program.

She also unveiled a new initiative to expand physician training in rural Iowa, allocating up to $10.5 million for up to 14 new ACGME‑accredited residency programs in internal medicine, obstetrics‑gynecology, general surgery and psychiatry. The funding targets hospitals, health systems and medical schools outside the state’s major population centers, requiring at least half of the training to occur in federally designated rural areas. Reynolds said the effort aims to increase the number of doctors practicing in rural communities and strengthen the state’s health‑care workforce.