Alaska

This is an update from the Alaska Department of Health on the status of the Year 1 RHTP funding cycle. No specific awardees, award amounts, or detailed milestones are provided. The update signals ongoing implementation of the program.

The Alaska Department of Health has awarded over $34.5 million to 56 projects through the Rural Health Transformation Program's Year 1 funding cycle. Project selections focus on advancing rural health transformation across six core initiatives, impacting rural, remote, and frontier communities statewide. Further project-level detail is available via the DOH website as funding announcements continue to be released. Event schedule: - Second round award announcement - 08/14/2026 - Initial round award announcement - 08/07/2026

Alaska received a landmark $272M RHTP award. Over 1,800 proposals were submitted; more than 400 projects are advancing. Key areas include workforce, access to care, behavioral health, technology modernization, and local solutions.

The Alaska Department of Health announced the first group of RHTP awards totaling over $4.5 million for 19 projects enhancing rural health care. Projects focus on expanding access, workforce strengthening, infrastructure improvement, technology advancement, and innovative rural health solutions. Key contacts: Mirna Estrada mirna.estrada@alaska.gov Event schedule: - Initial award announcements - 08/07/2026 - Anchorage, Alaska

Alaska’s 2026 RHTP plan is built around six themed initiatives—including Healthy Beginnings, Health Care Access, Healthy Communities, Pay for Value, Strengthen Workforce, and Spark Technology—to modernize rural health delivery across the state. The document lays out detailed, allowable uses of RHTP funds for infrastructure, workforce, IT, prevention, delivery system, and payment reforms. The plan emphasizes locally led, culturally appropriate strategies, and strong attention to Alaska’s unique geography, Tribal partnerships, and workforce pipeline challenges. Event schedule: - Last Revised - 2026-02-19

Day 2 of Alaska’s RHTP convening emphasized the state’s leadership in program implementation, technology-enabled transformation, and stakeholder partnerships. Sessions featured perspectives from state government, tribal health, and technology experts, highlighting the goals of system-level change, sustainable outcomes, and workforce innovation. Discussion focused on practical, scalable health IT solutions and the importance of local readiness, collaboration, and sustainability planning. Event schedule: - RHTP Day 2 Convening - Anchorage, Alaska

The first year of Alaska's RHTP saw overwhelming demand with nearly 1,800 LOIs and $2.5B in requests, reduced to 365 full proposals and $272M awarded. The Department of Health, in partnership with the Alaska Community Foundation, is finalizing awards for 2026–2027 with implementation expected to begin in August. Major priorities include behavioral health, EMS, care access, health IT, and workforce, with new public dashboards and regional planning processes underway to improve transparency, geographic reach, and collaboration. Key contacts: Emily Ricci; Betsy Wood; Alison Miller; Julie Sanbei Event schedule: - Full Application Submission Window - 06/01/2026–06/22/2026 - Online portal - Earliest Implementation Award Start - 08/01/2026 - N/A - First Annual Report Due to CMS - 08/31/2026 - N/A - Next Advisory Council Meeting (anticipated) - 08/15/2026 - Virtual

Alaska's RHTP application outlines systemic, multi-faceted rural health challenges—geographic isolation, severe workforce shortages, pronounced health disparities, and outdated infrastructure. It proposes six major cross-cutting initiatives focused on maternal/child health, care access, healthy communities, fiscal sustainability, workforce development, and technology innovation. Key strategic goals include closing health outcome gaps, advancing payment reform for financial stability, and leveraging Alaska's history of telehealth and Tribal partnership innovation.

Alaska RHTP is launching a six-part interactive webinar series—one for each key transformation initiative—including Healthy Beginnings, Health Care Access, Healthy Communities, Fiscal Sustainability, Workforce, and Technology & Innovation. Each series consists of several sessions designed to foster cross-sector dialogue, highlight promising models, and set visions and baselines for statewide transformation. Key session dates span from March through June 2026, with recordings and recaps posted for broad stakeholder engagement. Key contacts: RHTP@alaska.gov Event schedule: - Healthy Beginnings Kickoff Session - 3/24/2026 - Webinar - Healthy Beginnings Session 2 - 5/13/2026 - Webinar - Health Care Access Kickoff Session - 3/31/2026 - Webinar - Health Care Access Session 2 - 5/14/2026 - Webinar - Healthy Communities Kickoff Session - 3/23/2026 - Webinar - Pay for Value: Fiscal Sustainability Kickoff Session - 4/1/2026 - Webinar - Pay for Value: Fiscal Sustainability Session 2 - Webinar (planned for June 2026) - Spark Technology and Innovation Session 2 - 5/15/2026 - Webinar

This document provides the agenda for the upcoming RHTP Advisory Council meeting scheduled for August 17, 2026, including updates on RHTP implementation awards and regional planning highlights. Event schedule: - Advisory Council Meeting - August 17, 2026 - 9-11:00 a.m. - Teleconference

This is an agenda for a virtual advisory council meeting focusing on updates and planning related to the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP). No awards or funding information is provided. Event schedule: - Advisory Council Meeting - 04/22/2026 - 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM - Teleconference