Welcome to the Oklahoma Rise 25 RHTP podcast. In this episode we undertake a deep dive into the comprehensive profile for Oklahoma’s Lung Cancer Screening Program — a $10.5 million, six‑year initiative (FY2026–FY2031) positioned inside the RHTP "moving upstream" pillar to prioritize prevention, early detection, and sustainable rural access.

Topics covered: why lung cancer is an urgent priority in Oklahoma (state incidence 63.7/100,000 vs. national 53.6), the state’s low early diagnosis rate (23.4%) and screening gap (only ~9% of eligible high‑risk people screened), and the program’s dual focus on evidence‑based LDCT screening and integrated tobacco cessation.

Key program design features explained: a multi‑site rollout across 11 rural and regional health systems; embedded clinical program directors (APPs/PAs/NPs) in each site to run clinical operations, navigation, and billing; one‑time capital purchases for mobile LDCT units; and mandatory linkage to comprehensive tobacco cessation services.

Financial and sustainability approach: RHTP funds are framed as transformation capital to build billable services — with an explicit requirement that built infrastructure, workforce, and billing systems transition to Medicaid, Medicare and commercial reimbursement before RHTP funds sunset. The podcast details personnel, statewide program management, and billing build‑out as central funded components.

Systems dependencies and risk: the episode walks through critical cross‑pillar needs — functioning EHR expansion, HIE interoperability, and data analytics — that are essential for quality tracking, registry reporting, and proving value. Major execution risks discussed include workforce retention, achieving sufficient screening volume, and Medicaid coverage stability, and the mitigation strategies needed to address them.

Timeline and milestones: listener guidance on sequencing — planning and site selection beginning Q2 FY2026, director placement by Q4 FY2026, clinical launch tied to billing readiness in Q4 FY2027, reporting into the Central Cancer Registry starting Q3 FY2028, and the final sustainability transition by FY2031 — with commentary on why early administrative and data work are the decisive early moves.

Equity and partnerships: the episode emphasizes tribal and community engagement, the role of community health workers and consumer technology for outreach and navigation, and the need for culturally competent, sovereignty‑respecting partnerships to ensure access across rural and tribal Oklahoma.

What listeners should expect: a practical, operationally focused conversation about turning a large rural health investment into durable outcomes — how the program will be run, who will lead it locally, what success will look like (measurable improvements in early diagnosis rates), and the precise set of policy, billing, data, and workforce conditions required to make this a permanent, billable rural health service. 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.