Welcome to the Oklahoma RISE 25 and 25 RHTP podcast. In this episode Dr. Booth and guests from the Oklahoma RISE 25 and the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) take a deep dive into the Consumer‑Facing Technology for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management and Behavioral Health Initiative — a nearly $16 million, five‑year effort to meet rural Oklahomans where they already are: on their phones.

We explain the initiative’s strategic placement within the RHTP “moving upstream” pillar, and how the program’s core mission—the billable service sustainability model—requires rigorous, independently validated ROI within five years so successful pilots can be transitioned to permanent payer coverage. The episode covers the budget ($15,950,000 across FY2026–FY2030), OSDH’s administrative role, and the disciplined, phased timeline that leads to payer engagement in FY2030 and possible regulatory pathways in FY2031.

Listeners will learn how the technology works in practice: app‑based conversational AI assistants that deliver personalized coaching, micro‑interventions, automated reminders, gamification, and tangible incentives; tightly filtered clinical alerts that trigger community health workers (CHWs) or providers; and integration with chronic disease management curricula, the statewide community care referral platform for SDOH, and the health information exchange (HIE) for population analytics.

The episode focuses on three priority populations—maternal health (prenatal/postnatal care and postpartum depression screening), behavioral health (CBT‑informed digital coaching, PHQ‑9 screening and crisis triage), and aging dual‑eligible patients with complex chronic needs—and explains why these groups offer both urgent need and high potential ROI. We discuss concrete performance targets (notably a 25% DAU/MAU stickiness goal and alert thresholds of ~5–10% readings triggering risk alerts with only 1–3% requiring immediate human action) and the technical, cultural, and workforce measures planned to reach them.

The episode also outlines governance and execution: the essential advisory council with rural residents and lived‑experience representation, OSDH’s requirement for a dedicated project manager (1.0 FTE) to run procurement and evaluation, and the front‑loaded investment in technical assistance and RFP development to avoid premature, ineffective buys. You’ll hear about the independent evaluation requirement that will quantify cost avoidance (hospitalizations, ER visits, complications) and the sequencing risk if pilots are rushed or adoption is low.

We finish by laying out the five critical success factors: authentic community engagement, achieving the 25% stickiness target, successful provider/CHW integration and workflow redesign, independent ROI demonstration, and effective payer engagement to secure sustainable coverage. The episode leaves stakeholders with clear near‑term priorities for FY2026: form the advisory council, complete needs assessments, design robust RFPs, and focus recruitment and training so the program can prove its case and avoid the five‑year cliff.

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.