Welcome to the Oklahoma Rise 25 and 25 RHDP podcast. This podcast is a production of the Oklahoma Rise 25 and 25 RHDP Task Force, an independent Oklahoma-led collaborative focused on turning one of the most significant rural health investments in our state's history into real, miserable outcomes for our communities. This podcast moves beyond headlines and funding announcements to provide clear, practical insight into what the Rural Health Transformation program means, how it works, and what successful execution will require across Oklahoma.

In this Deep Dive episode the focus is on the structure of modernization within Oklahoma’s RHTP framework, centering on a $65.75 million technology cooperative for primary care and behavioral health providers. We unpack where the cooperative sits within RHTP’s goals, the Oklahoma State Department of Health’s role as lead agency, the implementation timeline (FY2026–FY2030) and the staged rollout and pilot strategy that will test sustainability and adoption.

Topics covered include the cooperative’s dual function as a group purchasing engine and continuous technical-support hub; governance and membership design; master contracting and group purchasing savings targets (10–25%); and the three priority technology categories targeted for procurement and implementation — remote patient monitoring (RPM), telehealth platforms, and AI-enabled clinical documentation. The episode also examines dependencies on parallel investments (EHR expansion and HIE interoperability), how the cooperative complements — rather than competes with — larger initiatives like the CIN and rural health collaborative, and why sequencing and integration are critical.

Guests and contributors in the conversation include Dr. Keely John Booth, MD (host/producer), representatives and experts from the Oklahoma State Department of Health and the RHTP Task Force, and other program stakeholders and implementation partners. The discussion blends operational detail, policy context, and frontline perspectives so clinic administrators, policy leaders, and community members can understand practical risks and opportunities.

Key takeaways and measurable goals highlighted in the episode: the cooperative aims to reduce administrative burden and provider burnout (targeting ~20% documentation time savings by years 3–5), enable RPM-driven reductions in hospitalizations (estimates cited of 20–30% for targeted chronic conditions), and create a provider-assumed, dues-funded sustainability model backed by documented 10–25% technology cost savings. Critical milestones include a small pilot (25–30 providers) and a formal pilot evaluation in Q4 FY2028, with a Q2 FY2029 sustainability proof point required to justify the transition to member-funded operations.

The episode also outlines major failure risks to monitor — mismatched technology for low-bandwidth settings, insufficient implementation and workflow-focused support, and lack of transparent ROI or trust — and the success factors required: strong, representative governance, strict procurement discipline, deep coordination with EHR and HIE efforts, transparent performance monitoring, and rigorous measurement of cost and workflow outcomes.

Listeners will leave the episode with a clear sense of what the cooperative is designed to solve, how it will operate, what success will look like on the ground, and why this initiative could be a replicable model for rural health modernization beyond Oklahoma.

Listeners are invited to join the Oklahoma Rise 25 in 25 RHTP Task Force at Rise25in25.org or email info@rise25in25.org for more information. The Oklahoma Rise 25 and 25 RHTP Forum is produced and directed by Dr. Keley John Booth, MD.