How UTN got a $26 million RHTP program up and running in weeks

Utah Telehealth Network (UTN), located at the University of Utah, provides secure, reliable, and high-performance connectivity solutions for healthcare providers across Utah. When the Utah Department of Health and Human Services was awarded funding from the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), UTN was chosen to administer the funds to support innovation for telehealth. 

That meant a huge project dropped into Andy Paulsen’s lap. Andy had just stepped into his program manager role for UTN. Now, he needed to launch a $26.5 million program with layers of reviews, compliance, and reporting. 

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Challenge 1: No master plan

UTN was in a similar position to many agencies that received RHTP funding across the country. Here was a big influx of funding and no clear blueprint to follow. Andy and his team needed to build the whole application, awarding, and reporting process from the ground up. “We had to figure everything out,” he says. 

Challenge 2: Tight deadlines

The UTN team had a lightning-fast deadline. They had to have their application up and running in a matter of weeks. Plus, with the budget and reporting requirements, they needed to have the whole program framework in place before the application opened. Andy knew that with the lengthy internal approval process, he would have to move incredibly fast to stay on track. 

Challenge 3: A clunky existing solution 

Andy knew that the simplest way to get the program up and running quickly would be to use the software the state had already procured. But when he went in to test it, he found it to be clunky and difficult to use. Plus, it didn’t have all the pieces to support the reporting and budgeting he needed. If he used it, he’d have to Frankenstein multiple systems together. 

Boldly choosing the best solution

After researching grant management software options, Andy knew that Submittable was the right choice for the program. The question was: Would there be enough time to implement a new software? 

To avoid any internal review, Andy’s boss encouraged him to just use the clunky software the state already used. But Andy knew that Submittable would set up the program and the agency for success. “I just really pushed hard that I thought this would be better long term,” he says. 

With this being Andy’s first major project for UTN, he felt like his professional reputation was at stake. “I was terrified,” he says, especially as he worked up to the deadline. 

The launch went off without a hitch. Andy’s decision to make the bold choice, especially so early in his tenure, has gone a long way with his team. “When I was able to get it live, and they saw that it worked and we got all the positive feedback, for me personally, it just added a ton of credibility to what I was doing and my capabilities here,” he says. “Now I just am constantly hearing: ‘You were right. This is the right call. This is the best platform.’”

Here’s what worked so well. 

Unmatched flexibility 

Working on such a tight timeline, Andy knew he needed a team and a platform that could flex to accommodate him. 

When UTN’s internal review was still in progress, Andy got access to start building an application in Submittable. That way, they could go live as soon as they got the purchase order signed.

The turnaround time was unreal. The order was signed Friday morning, and the application went live on Friday afternoon. “Working with Submittable has been great. I would say my situation was a little unique in that I had to do so much before I got on board. They were very flexible,” he says.  

The platform itself also gave Andy the flexibility he needed. He could make changes to the application even after it was live, which meant he could easily be responsive to applicant feedback. “We immediately got some feedback that we were asking for too many things,” he says. “So we went in and simplified the application.” 

A great user experience for everyone

With Submittable, UTN was able to create a smooth and easy applicant experience. Andy checked in with applicants to see how the process felt to them. “What I heard from everybody was that it was the easiest platform they used,” he says. 

An eligibility quiz at the beginning of the application made sure that applicants were prepared once they stepped into the application itself. Real-time collaboration allowed teams to easily work together on their application right in the platform. 

UTN also had a team of reviewers to score applications. “It was very easy for them, too,” Andy says. With a quick walkthrough of the platform, reviewers were off and running. Permission controls ensured reviewers only saw the content they were meant to see. 

Everything in one place

A big reason Andy had originally gravitated towards Submittable was the appeal of having the whole grant lifecycle in one place. “We wanted to manage everything after the application in the same system,” he says. Every other solution would require cobbling platforms together.

As they moved into the awarding and reporting phases, it was especially nice to have it all in one spot. “We're able to break apart and look at the data in there to see what areas each project is covering,” Andy says. “I'm really excited because we have a broad spectrum of programs.” Through this grant, UTN is bringing new levels of maternal health, behavioral health, oncology care, and more to rural Utah. 

Using Submittable has played a big role in the team’s success. “I will always praise Submittable for how much they worked with me to get this done in a way that made this project one hundred times easier,” Andy says. 

A confident path to more funding 

The success Andy and his team had launching this first round of RHTP funding gave them confidence as they pursued more opportunities. 

In their application for another round of funding, they pointed to the process they built with Submittable. The work paid off. They were recently awarded an additional $125 million over the next five years. In fact, UTN had done so well managing all the aspects of the program that another organization reached out to Andy to partner with them for the upcoming round of funding. “They liked Submittable so much, they said, ‘Can we just combine with you and use your platform?’” Andy says. 

As the UTN team looks ahead to the task of managing such a big influx of funds with a partner, they know the processes they’ve built can hold up to that kind of pressure.

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