Lessons from the Field: New rural health course available Summer 2026
March 19, 2026
Phil Hokenson, Instructor
For more than a decade, Phil Hokenson traveled to the furthest reaches of ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ to assist veterans and their families in some of the most geographically isolated communities in the country.
As a Veterans Service Officer and later with the ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ VA Office of Rural Health, he worked alongside Tribal Health Organizations (THOs), community leaders, and local advocates to connect rural veterans with healthcare and other benefits from the VA. He went on to become the VA’s lead trainer of volunteer Tribal/Rural Veterans Representatives, a regular presenter at conferences for THO outreach & enrollment staff, and helped author a new agreement that allowed rural veterans to continue to seek care in Tribal Health facilities, regardless of Tribal affiliation.
Now, he brings that experience into the classroom at the UAF College of Business and Security Management (CBSM), where he will teach a 6-week accelerated online course on rural health in ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ this summer, Rural Health Services and Emerging Technologies (HML 640).
The course will feature ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ perspectives on rural healthcare operations & logistics, workforce constraints, payers, telehealth, ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥â€™s Tribal health system, and the Rural Health Transformation Program.
Why This Course Matters
In the vast geography of ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥, access to vital care for rural communities often depends on weather, logistics, and trust. Understanding rural health delivery in this particularly challenging environment provides insight into broader national and global conversations about health equity, public policy implementation challenges, and innovative service delivery models.
For MHML and MBA students, public health professionals, emergency managers, government employees, and those working in Tribal organizations, this course offers practical insights from subject-matter experts and a greater strategic understanding of rural healthcare delivery. It will be an in-depth look at the systems that must function across rivers, tundra, mountain passes, and coastlines to keep rural ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ns healthy.