In FY 2003, the Legislature eliminated the Area Health Education Centers located throughout the State and created the Rural Development Program at Southern Utah University for the development of healthcare programs in rural Utah.
The following appropriation adjustments were made during the 2015 General Session:
Rural Healthcare Programs
The Rural Development program develops healthcare programs for rural Utah.

Funding from the Rural Development line item supports the Utah Center for Rural Health. This Center provides a number of services:
- Resources for students, parents, teachers, and counselors to encourage rural youth to pursue careers in health care and assist them in achieving their training goals;
- Coordination of clinical training opportunities in rural Utah for medical students, residents, pharmacy, and other graduate level students;
- Continuing education programs for rural health care providers; and
- Oversight of Rural Health Scholars Program, which prepares SUU students for admission to graduate-level health care programs through enhanced advisement, mentoring, and "hands-on" training experiences.
COBI contains unaudited data as presented to the Legislature by state agencies at the time of publication. For audited financial data see the State of Utah's Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports.