The two categories of awards include:

Category 1: Community-Based, Rural and/or Safety Net Organizations

To be eligible under this category, the nominated program or project must meet at least ONE of the following criteria:

• The program or project serves a rural OR underserved area based on program eligibility, common rural definitions OR shortage designations criteria. To determine eligibility, use the Am I Rural Tool (https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/am-i-rural). Eligible areas include those qualifying for FORHP – Grant Programs or as Medically Underserved Areas/Populations (MUAs/MUPs)
• The program or project is administered by a small practice or organization (fewer than 50 full-time employees).
• The program or project is administered by a health care safety net organization (e.g., public health/mental health, Federally Qualified Health Clinic, free/charitable care clinic, private nonprofit clinic). Organizations are considered part of the health care safety net if: (1) they maintain an “open door” policy, offering services regardless of ability to pay; and (2) a substantial portion of their patients are uninsured, Medicaid-enrolled, or otherwise vulnerable.

Category 2: All Other Providers/Organizations

REQUIREMENTS: All nominations must be submitted online on/before the stated due date. A fillable nomination form is provided for your convenience; however, it use is optional. Applicants may submit their own nomination using their own document, provided all required elements are included. By submitting a nomination for this award, you are granting MATRC and its assignees permission to use and disseminate the content of the nominations for the purpose of education, promotion of the value of telehealth and/or promotion of MATRC sponsored activities and events.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Nominations should not exceed 3 pages in length single spaced, with 1 inch margins and using 12 point font. All nominations must include the following information:

• Submitters Name, Title, Phone Number and Email Address
• Name of Program/Project
• Award Category: (Category 1 or Category 2)
• Name, Title, Phone Number and Email of Program/Project Manager/Coordinator (if different than Submitter)
• Name and Address of Program/Project Organization (if applicable)
• Brief Overview of the Program/Project (a description of the purpose of the project and the key components of the project – if the project had explicit goals and objectives, include those here as well)
• What Barriers Did This Project Try to Address? (a description of the targeted area or population and the nature and extent of the problem(s)/barrier(s) or unmet need(s) that the project was designed to address)
• What Impact Did This Program/Project Achieve? Why Do You Consider it Barrier-Breaking? (a description of the outcomes and impact achieved by the project, including any improvements in access, quality, experience or efficiency – both qualitative and quantitative results are welcome)
  • Optional supporting documents: As evidence of impact of the program/project, nominees may upload:
    • Letters of support and/or brief testimonials from those who have been impacted by the program/project
    • Outcomes data from efforts to assess or evaluate the project
    • Newspaper articles or other materials that discuss the project
    • Promotional materials about the program/project
• Were There Any Elements of this Program/Project that You Felt Were Innovative? (a description of any elements of this project that you would consider new, adapted or a creatively applied approach – innovation may take many forms, including new methods for reaching underserved populations, previously untried processes, strategies or technologies, or more effective and efficient ways to drive adoption of telehealth by providers and/or patients)
• Who Were the Key Partners Involved and What Role Did They Play? (describe any collaborating organizations, sectors or disciplines involved in the project and how these partnerships contributed to its success)

To support MATRCs mission for providing education and technical assistance to others, the following are some informational elements, that if available, would be great to include in the nomination:

• What Were the Most Important Lessons Learned? What Would You Do Differently? (include practical recommendations for others seeking to replicate or adapt this model)
• What Resources and Costs Were Involved, and How Feasible is it to Replicate This Model? (include staffing, technology, partnerships and approximate costs if available)

AWARD CRITERIA:

• 25% Need: Is there evidence that this program/project was designed to use telehealth as a way to break down barriers to accessing quality care and/or addressing an unmet need?
• 40% Impact: Is there evidence that the program/project has succeeded in breaking down barriers to accessing quality care and/or addressing an unmet need and has led to improvements in health and/or quality of life for the targeted population?
• 15% Replicability: Can this program/project be successfully replicated in other areas or populations?
• 10% Collaboration: Does this program/project engage in meaningful partnerships across organizations, sectors or disciplines?
• 10% Innovation / Originality: Does this project reflect a new, adapted, or creatively applied approach?

2026 Award Nomination Form