Alaska has announced $209 million in rural health awards and none of it goes to off-grid sanitation

Alaska has announced 217 rural health projects worth $209 million, none of them off-grid sanitation.

The Alaska Department of Health announced its first awards Aug. 7, more than $4.5 million for 19 projects; through Aug. 14 it reported 43 implementation notices, projects cleared to begin work, and 13 planning projects, worth nearly $35 million combined.

Advisory council member Monique Martin pressed officials three days later on sanitation, facility renovations and child care. She noted those subjects appear as milestones in Alaska's federal application, commitments made to win the money.

Deputy Commissioner Emily Ricci said the department adjusted milestone timing: "we don't have the clarity of guidance this year that I think we need." Betsy Wood of the Office of Health Savings said the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services allows changing when or how a milestone is met, but generally not swapping it for another.

Two of the three have since closed: nine renovation projects worth $6.5 million and four child care awards.

Letters of interest sought $2.7 billion program-wide, roughly ten times Alaska's $272 million first-year award. Martin urged the state to flag milestone changes before round two. A public webinar Sept. 11 covers the year two cycle.