Alliance of companies will help accelerate $50 billion in rural health programs

Alliance of companies will help accelerate $50 billion in rural health programs The Alliance for Advancing Rural Healthcare includes Arcadia, Castlight Health, Covista, Mission Mobile Medical, Telemedicine.com, TruBridge and Walgreens.

Population Health By Susan Morse , Executive Editor | February 20, 2026 | 11:08 AM Photo: SDI Productions/Getty Images Arcadia, Castlight Health, Covista, Mission Mobile Medical, Telemedicine.com, TruBridge and Walgreens have come together in an alliance to help state and local markets execute the spending of $50 billion in the Rural Health Transformation program.The companies are part of the Alliance for Advancing Rural Healthcare (AARH), which was formed by Science Applications International Corp. WHY THIS MATTERSAARH initiatives will include strengthening the rural clinical workforce, modernizing health IT systems, and building platforms that connect patients to care.Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) will integrate AI, data management, network infrastructure and cybersecurity solutions.Arcadia brings intelligence to fragmented data for analytics, AI and benchmarks. Arcadia helps providers, payers, and government organizations including Aetna, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, Intermountain Health, Ochsner Health and the state of California.Castlight Health offers digital care navigation and its clinical arm, Vera Whole Health.Covista, a healthcare educator that graduates more than 24,000 healthcare professionals annually, will partner with health systems to place graduates in underserved communities.Mission Mobile Medical delivers mobile and community-based care, where care is otherwise limited or unavailable.Telemedicine.com offers telemedicine systems, software solutions, medical devices, remote patient monitoring and clinician staffing for in-person, virtual or hybrid clinical programs.TruBridge is able to support rural and community hospitals through revenue cycle management technology, electronic health records and specialized services that strengthen financial sustainability.Walgreens provides pharmacies and virtual platforms to areas facing provider shortages.THE LARGER TRENDThe Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in December announced the individual funding awards for the $50 billion federal Rural Health Transformation Program.The Rural Health Transformation Program is a federal initiative. Congress designated the funds to help offset cuts to state Medicaid programs.Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, SAIC has annual revenues of approximately $7.5 billion. ON THE RECORD"State governments face unique challenges in transforming rural healthcare and need partners who understand public sector accountability, the complexities of healthcare operations, and the need for scalable, results-driven solutions," said Suresh Soundararajan, former Virginia Department of Health CIO and current SAIC RHT Program Lead. "AARH helps states overcome these hurdles, delivering sustainable, people-centered solutions that address the critical needs of rural communities." Email the writer: [email protected] Topic: Accounting & Financial Management, Population Health, Supply Chain, Telehealth