Alaska

Alaska was awarded $272 million through the federal RHTP for distribution between January and October 2026. Funding will transform rural health care delivery, emphasizing improved care coordination, workforce expansion, and technology investments. Entities across Alaska—including hospitals, tribal organizations, and EMS—will be able to apply for project funds in competitive cycles beginning in 2026. Key contacts: Heidi Hedberg DOH.RHTF@alaska.gov; Emily Ricci DOH.RHTF@alaska.gov; Monique Martin DOH.RHTF@alaska.gov Event schedule: - RHTP application portal registration & letter of intent opens - 01/2026 - AKT - Alaska DOH website - First funding awards expected - Spring 2026 - AKT - Statewide - Community-led regional planning workshops - Spring/Summer 2026 - AKT - Regional - In-Person Convening (Annual, mark your calendars!) - January 2027 - AKT

Alaska Department of Health convened a statewide kickoff event to launch the RHTP implementation and provide early program direction. The event engaged diverse partners including Tribal and community organizations, emphasizing RHTP as a long-term systemic investment. Event schedule: - Year 1 Convening Day 1 - January 14, 2026 - Virtual - Year 1 Convening Day 2 - January 15, 2026 - In-person - Year 1 Convening Day 3 - January 16, 2026

Alaska has been awarded major federal funding under the Rural Health Transformation Program to support the permanent transformation of rural health care. The press release indicates significant federal investment and new programmatic activity is forthcoming. Event schedule: - Press Release announcing Alaska RHTP award - 12/29/2025 - Online

On December 29, 2025, the Alaska Department of Health announced it was awarded major federal funding through the Rural Health Transformation Program to permanently transform rural health care. Additional details on award amount and implementation phases are forthcoming. Event schedule: - Award announcement - 12/29/2025 - Alaska Department of Health

This document is the official resource guide for applicants to Alaska's RHTP, outlining funding pathways, allowable uses, program initiatives, and federal rules. The program is a 5-year, $272 million cooperative agreement with CMS and features planned subrecipient grantmaking to local health providers, Tribal organizations, nonprofits, and others addressing rural health challenges. No sub-awards are yet made; this is an informational LOI applicant resource only.

The Department of Health partners with the Alaska Community Foundation to administer the application process; submitting a Letter of Interest is required to pursue RHTP projects. Initial LOI period is Feb 17 to Mar 11, 2026, with future opportunities planned. Applicant office hours start Feb 17, 2026. Key contacts: RHTP@alaska.gov Event schedule: - First LOI registration period opens - 02/17/2026 - Online LOI portal - First LOI registration period closes - 03/11/2026 - Online LOI portal - RHTP Applicant Office Hours series begins - 02/17/2026 - Zoom webinar

This document provides detailed guidance on Alaska's approach to allocating RHTP funding across diverse regions, populations, and service types. The guidance describes a portfolio-level review process designed to maintain balance and equity in funding distribution, and to ensure alignment with both federal spending limits and state health priorities. Target populations and eligible organization types are clearly outlined along with detailed definitions of supported service categories.

This guidance document provides a detailed scoring rubric for evaluating Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) proposals. It outlines the criteria for assessing need, project outcomes, rural impact, investment potential, partnership coordination, sustainability, and milestone planning. The rubric uses a 1-5 scale, ranging from poor to excellent, to ensure standard and consistent evaluations of proposals.

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

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 was awarded $272.2 million in federal grants to implement six statewide initiatives including maternal and child health, healthcare access, healthy communities, fiscal sustainability through pay-for-value models, workforce strengthening, and technology innovation. The Alaska Department of Health officially launched the program in January 2026 and is currently managing applicant progress with pathways for planning and implementation phases. Key contacts: RHTP@alaskacf.org Event schedule: - Statewide Kickoff Webinar - January 14-16, 2026 - Statewide webinar - LOI Outcomes Notification - May 22, 2026

This report summarizes the third day of the Alaska RHTP convening focused on vendor engagement, departmental staff interaction, and relationship-building to support rural health transformation. The Department emphasized transparency and partnership to guide future rural health initiatives. Continued engagement and information sharing were encouraged to support sustainable system changes. Key contacts: Heidi Hedberg; Emily Ricci; Lindsey Kato; Deb Etheridge

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