GREAT Health Program Implementation Plan and Timeline

DCH has developed a bold plan with detailed timeline to ensure success of the GREAT Health Program. Upon award receipt in January 2026 (Q2, FY26), DCH will begin the implementation process with pre-identified partners and begin the request for assistance process for projects without identified partners. Staff included in the grant will be hired and contracts for administrative support and oversight will be executed.

For Initiative 1, Transforming for a Sustainable Health System, DCH will begin preparations for the AHEAD model. Hospital assessments will inform work in all initiatives, so stage 1 will begin with assessing hospitals and educating providers of the state’s AHEAD plans and participation benefits. Stage 2 will continue the hospital portion and initiate primary care provider discussions, education, and engagement. Technical assistance to all provider types will comprise the next stage, concurrent with the state’s implementation of the AHEAD model. This will usher in stages 4 and 5, completing hospital transformation plans to align with AHEAD and transitioning all components to a fully implanted value-based care model.

Initiative 2, Strengthening the Continuum of Care, will be implemented in three major phases, with varying timelines based on the specific strategy. Assessments will begin stages 0 and 1, depending on partner agency timelines and limitations. These assessments will inform the work done in stages 1-3, which involve partner purchasing of materials- such as newborn screening equipment, ambulances, and transport vans- and fostering collaboration by formalizing partnerships- school based health services, emergency preparedness changes, support for ABI survivors, and autism nutrition education. Stages 4 and 5 require these strategies to evaluate and grow their reach based on the first stages of learning, implementing differing continuity strategies and plugging into current avenues for continued support and funding.

Connecting to Care to Improve Healthcare Access, Initiative 3, will take place in five distinct stages. To ensure resources are sent to areas most in need, assessments- for point-of-care telepods, mobile clinics, and hospital and health department telehealth enhancements- will also begin this initiative’s implementation through stages 0 and 1. Stages 2 and 3 will ensure hospital and provider partners are informed and aligned with strategies, leading to the next stage of service delivery and change management. From perinatal care changes to telehealth to additional in-person care access points, all strategies in Initiative 3 will require changes to normal operating procedures for the entities involved. DCH is committed to providing change management and technical assistance to aid in the uptake of services and provide a seamless transition to the final stage (5) of service transition to billing.

The strategies of Initiative 4, Growing a Highly Skilled Healthcare Workforce, fall into two distinct categories: rural provider education and funding for provider incentives and scholarships. Stage 0 will involve DCH establishing working guidelines and protocols with the five partner organizations, all of which are well-established and respected within their individual fields. Stage 1 will incorporate advisory groups of providers and rural constituents to ensure effective protocols are established, with Stage 2 implementing the advised recommendations.

Continued stages will focus on scaling and evaluation of the programs within their respective agencies. Outcomes will be reported to state entities upon completion of the strategies in Stage 5 to help inform future state investments in rural provider recruitment.

Leveraging Technology for Healthcare Innovations, Initiative 5, will begin with agency engagement of partner organizations. This will ensure all timelines are aligned, deliverables are understood, and continuity plans are realized from the beginning. Evaluations (cybersecurity, EMRs, workforce retention technology, BHSAT), planning (eligibility system enhancements, EMS TVT), and contracting (ARCHER fund, consumer engagement platform) will comprise the initial stages of implementation. Stages 2 and 3 will involve DCH check-ins on progress and grants for equipment purchase based on initial findings (EMR upgrades, EMS TVT technology, workforce retention technology). Scaling projects and improvement will be the final action step for this initiative, with Stage 5 comprising of final evaluations and fund distribution (ARCHER fund) and integration into current workstreams (cybersecurity, EMR, EMS TVT) and funding sources (eligibility and consumer engagement enhancements).

For successful project implementation, tracking and monitoring of the initiatives by strategy will be necessary. Detailed breakdowns of timing and stages by strategy can be found in Attachment E: FY26 – FY31 GREAT Health Program Implementation Milestones and Timeline.