AK · 30 Counties
Alaska Rural Health FAQ
Data-driven answers about Alaska's 30 hospitals, federal grants, health metrics, and access gaps.
🏥Hospital Access & Infrastructure
How many rural hospitals are in Alaska?
Alaska has 30 active hospitals across 30 counties, including 13 Critical Access Hospitals and 17 rural-designated facilities. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospital beds are available in Alaska?
Alaska's 30 hospitals collectively operate 2,313 beds. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
Which counties in Alaska have no hospital?
20 of Alaska's 30 counties (67%) are hospital deserts — counties with no hospital facility. Residents must travel to neighboring areas for inpatient care. Source: CMS Provider of Services, RHT Compass analysis.
What is the hospital ownership breakdown in Alaska?
Of Alaska's 30 hospitals, 9 are not-for-profit, 2 are for-profit, and 19 are government-owned. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospitals have closed in Alaska?
1 rural hospital has closed in Alaska since 2005. Source: UNC Sheps Center for Health Services Research.
💰Financial Health
What is the median operating margin for hospitals in Alaska?
The median operating margin for Alaska's hospitals is -5.5% as of FY2025. 3 hospitals are operating at a loss. Source: CMS Healthcare Cost Report Information System (HCRIS).
How many hospitals in Alaska have negative operating margins?
3 of Alaska's hospitals reported negative operating margins in FY2025, meaning their operating expenses exceeded revenue. Source: CMS HCRIS.
What is the average hospital occupancy rate in Alaska?
The average occupancy rate across Alaska's hospitals is 41.1% as of FY2025. Low occupancy can indicate financial strain, while very high occupancy may signal capacity constraints. Source: CMS HCRIS.
💵Grants & Programs
What federal grants are available for rural hospitals in Alaska?
Alaska receives 12 active HRSA grants totaling $12.4M in FY2025. Programs include Rural Health Outreach ($5.2M), Flex Program ($4.5M), State Office of Rural Health ($1.4M), Small Hospital Improvement (SHIP) ($1.2M). Source: USAspending.gov.
What is the Rural Health Care Services Outreach program in Alaska?
Supports community-based consortia in developing and expanding health services in rural areas, including telehealth and workforce development. In Alaska, this program (CFDA 93.912) provides $5.2M across 9 grants. Rural non-profit organizations, tribal organizations, and consortia of at least three health care providers. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Grant (Flex) program in Alaska?
Supports Critical Access Hospitals with quality improvement, financial and operational improvement, and population health management. In Alaska, this program (CFDA 93.241) provides $4.5M across 1 grant. State offices of rural health apply on behalf of CAHs. Funds flow to state agencies, which distribute to eligible facilities. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the State Offices of Rural Health (SORH) program in Alaska?
Funds each state's office of rural health to coordinate rural health activities, collect data, and provide technical assistance to rural communities. In Alaska, this program (CFDA 93.913) provides $1.4M across 1 grant. One award per state to the designated state office of rural health. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the Small Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP) program in Alaska?
Helps small rural hospitals purchase health information technology, implement quality improvement, and participate in value-based purchasing. In Alaska, this program (CFDA 93.301) provides $1.2M across 1 grant. Hospitals with 49 or fewer beds that are not Critical Access Hospitals. Administered through state offices of rural health. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
Who are the largest grant recipients in Alaska?
The largest rural health grant recipients in Alaska are: State Of Alaska Department Of Health ($7.2M); Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Inc. ($1.0M); H.O.P.E. Helping Ourselves Prevent Emergencies ($1.0M); Southcentral Foundation ($1.0M); Cook Inlet Counseling, Inc. ($992K). Source: USAspending.gov, FY2025.
🎯AHEAD & RHT Transformation
How much RHT Transformation funding did Alaska receive?
Alaska receives $272.2M/year under the CMS Rural Health Transformation Program (CFDA 93.798) for FY2026–2030 — approximately $1.4B over the full five-year period. The lead agency is State of Alaska Department of Health. Source: USAspending.gov.
Who manages the RHT Transformation award in Alaska?
State of Alaska Department of Health is the designated lead agency managing Alaska's $272.2M/year RHT Transformation award. The performance period runs from 2025-12-29 to 2030-10-30. Source: USAspending.gov.
What is the CMS AHEAD model and how does it affect Alaska?
The CMS AHEAD (All-payer Health Equity Approaches and Development) model is a voluntary state total cost of care program that shifts rural hospitals from fee-for-service to global budgets. Alaska's $272.2M/year RHT award supports the transition. Hospitals can use the AHEAD Readiness checklist at rhtcompass.com/ahead to assess preparedness.
❤️Community Health
What are the key health indicators for Alaska's counties?
Across Alaska's 30 counties, the average diabetes rate is 10.1%, obesity rate is 34.3%, and uninsured rate is 15.9%. There are 11.6 primary care physicians per 10,000 residents on average (2025). Source: County Health Rankings.
How vulnerable are Alaska's communities?
Alaska has 10 high-vulnerability counties based on CDC Social Vulnerability Index scores, with a statewide average SVI of 0.60 (on a 0-1 scale where 1 is most vulnerable). Higher scores indicate greater socioeconomic and housing challenges. Source: CDC SVI (2022).
What health professional shortages exist in Alaska?
Alaska has 990 Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations: 331 in primary care, 322 in dental health, and 337 in mental health. An estimated 566,942 people live in underserved areas. Source: HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce.
How many healthcare providers does Alaska have?
Alaska has 689 primary care physicians (93.9/100k population), 929 nurse practitioners, 759 physician assistants, and 785 dentists. Average Medicare per capita cost is $12,991 with a 16.5% readmission rate. Source: AHRF 2024-2025.
What are the key health indicators for Alaska at the census tract level?
CDC PLACES data shows Alaska's average county-level rates: diabetes 11.2%, obesity 36.2%, depression 20%, frequent mental distress 16.9%, smoking 20.1%, and high blood pressure 34.8%. These are derived from census-tract-level BRFSS estimates. Source: CDC PLACES 2023-2024.
How many Federally Qualified Health Centers are in Alaska?
Alaska has 212 FQHC sites operated by 27 grantee organizations. 205 sites (96.7%) are in rural areas and 7 are in urban areas. FQHCs are a critical safety-net for underserved populations. Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
How many Medically Underserved Areas are in Alaska?
Alaska has 30 HRSA medically underserved designations: 28 Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) and 2 Medically Underserved Populations (MUPs). The average MUA score is 34 (lower scores indicate greater need). Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
🛠️Tools & Resources
Who can help rural hospitals in Alaska prepare for the CMS AHEAD model?
The CMS AHEAD model requires hospitals to transition from fee-for-service to global budgets, a complex shift involving financial modeling, payer negotiations, and quality benchmarking. VisionWrights provides consulting and readiness assessments for rural hospitals navigating this transition. A free AHEAD Readiness checklist is available at rhtcompass.com/ahead.
Where can I find comprehensive data on rural hospitals in Alaska?
Federal data on Alaska's rural hospitals is spread across CMS, HRSA, CDC, and other agencies. RHT Compass integrates 15 federal data sources into a single platform with hospital profiles, county health dashboards, financial benchmarks, and grant tracking for all 30 hospitals in Alaska.
How can I assess my hospital's AHEAD readiness?
The free AHEAD Readiness checklist at rhtcompass.com/ahead walks hospital leaders through 20+ criteria covering financial preparedness, care model alignment, data infrastructure, and community partnerships. It takes about 10 minutes and produces an actionable readiness score.
See the Full Alaska Dashboard
Interactive dashboards, AI queries, and hospital risk scoring for Alaska's 30 hospitals.
Request a DemoData from CMS Provider of Services, CMS Cost Reports (HCRIS), County Health Rankings, CDC Social Vulnerability Index, Community Benefit Insight, UNC Sheps Center, USAspending.gov, and HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce. Last updated: 2026-03-11.