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Rural Health Transformation Program tracker › Alaska

Alaska

Rural Health Transformation Program
Program
Alaska
First-year award
$272,174,856 (CMS)
Lead agency
Alaska Department of Health (DOH)
Program page
health.alaska.gov/en/education/rural-health-transformation-program
Contact
The program office's contact details
Where the plan names technology
Alaska's plan has a "Spark Technology and Innovation" initiative that "harnesses data and technology to enable rural, remote, and frontier providers," including "increasing telehealth, appropriate AI, and cybersecurity through improved IT and remote monitoring," upgraded electronic health records and "testing new delivery modalities using emerging technologies like unmanned aerial systems and kiosks." Its potential uses of funds include start-up funding for training providers and support staff to "leverage or expand AI-powered documentation, workflows, and back-office function and resource tools," and the applicant FAQ names "Pilots or demonstrations of emerging technologies (e.g., AI-enabled tools or wearables)" among technology uses of the money.
AI named in the plan
Yes
Funding rounds
  • Open Year 2 Fall 2026 funding cycle; approximately $75 million; opened Sept 30, 2026, deadline Oct 28, 2026; eligible: Organization types that "may include, but are not limited to" health care providers, Tribes, nonprofits and local governments; each organization may submit up to five applications
  • Awarded Year 1 letter of interest registration; opened Feb 17, 2026, deadline Mar 11, 2026; eligible: Organizations interested in applying for funding, which had to register and submit a letter of interest
  • Upcoming Year 2 Spring 2027 funding cycle; eligible: The department says multi-year continuation requests from Year 1 subrecipients will be reviewed in this cycle
Awards
  • Oct 9, 2026: $249M to 254 projects. The department's projected Year 1 award amounts as of Oct. 9: Health Care Access $98.9M, Spark Technology & Innovation $43.2M, Pay for Value $32.2M, Strengthen Workforce $30.1M, Healthy Beginnings $22.7M and Healthy Communities $21.8M. The department says subaward budget finalization is still in progress. Announcement
  • Aug 7, 2026: over $4.5 million to 19 projects. The Department of Health's first group of Year 1 awards, announced as an intent to award. The department said additional notices would be announced each Friday as they are finalized. Announcement
Next
The department calls the Fall 2026 cycle "the first of two anticipated Year 2 funding opportunities," with "an additional application cycle expected in Spring of 2027," and says the Spring cycle is expected to open in early spring 2027 with awards beginning as early as July 2027. Questions go to [email protected]. The state gives its first-year award as $272,174,855.72. CMS's Aug. 25, 2026 release on Alaska's awards lists "Over $3.1 million to establish a statewide AI imaging network across 21 acute care hospitals."
Sources: CMS, first-year awards, Alaska DOH program page, Alaska DOH, for RHTP applicants and FAQs, Alaska's project narrative, Alaska DOH, subrecipient eligibility, Alaska DOH, letter of interest portal opens, Alaska DOH, first group of awards, Alaska DOH, Year 1 funding cycle update, CMS, Alaska awards
Checked against its sources

What the money can pay for: What does the Rural Health Transformation Program pay for?.

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