By Anthony Shop with contributions from Merrill Friedman

“The best future of healthcare sits in collaboration.”

That observation captured the spirit of a National Digital Roundtable hosted with Elevance Health in Washington, D.C. Leaders working across healthcare, broadband, local and national community organizations, communications, and public policy explored a shared challenge: how to turn technology, resources, and relationships into meaningful access for people living and working in rural communities.

The discussion took place against the backdrop of the Rural Health Transformation Program, a $50 billion federal initiative spanning fiscal years 2026–2030. But the conversation extended beyond any single funding source to consider what health plans, foundations, providers, broadband organizations, and national and community partners can accomplish together.

This brief summarizes discussion themes without attributing comments to individual participants or their organizations. It does not represent a consensus statement or endorsement by participating organizations.

Collaboration is essential to delivering care

“Healthcare is a team sport.”

Participants repeatedly returned to the limits of working alone. Rural access challenges cross organizational boundaries: a healthcare provider may offer a service, a broadband organization may enable the connection, and a trusted community partner may help someone feel comfortable using it.

The discussion emphasized building on relationships and resources already in place, while connecting organizations that do not traditionally work together. Collaboration was framed not simply as a way to share information, but as a way to make services possible and sustainable.

The opportunity is to connect people and organizations that have not previously been connected, particularly where their capabilities complement one another. Participants also discussed a “no wrong door” approach to access, alongside trusted information, health  and digital literacy.

Connectivity is a spectrum, not a yes-or-no question

Connectivity emerged as a spectrum rather than a simple question of whether someone is online. Participants raised affordability and connection speed alongside availability and reliability, highlighting the difference between having an internet connection and having high quality internet that is practically usable[FMA1] .

Clinics need reliable connectivity, too. When patients cannot connect from home, they may still need to travel to a clinic or other familiar place, such as a library or school, to participate in a virtual appointment with a provider elsewhere. Telehealth can extend the reach of care even if not eliminating every barrier to receiving it.

Participants also raised the difficulty of sustaining services in less-populated rural communities. Investments that work in a larger rural hub may be harder to maintain in a smaller neighboring community. The challenge is not only reaching more people, but reaching those with more complex health needs through conventional delivery models.

Digital tools need human support and familiar places

Digital health navigators and community-based telehealth spaces emerged as practical approaches to helping build trust in technology and making  it more usable.

The navigator concept recognizes that connecting someone to care may require help with more than an internet connection. Benton Institute’s Digital Access Coordinator Program Playbook provides a public resource for healthcare organizations developing navigator programs, including identifying digital-access gaps, establishing workflows, supporting patient-portal use, and evaluating results.

The discussion also highlighted Virtual Living Rooms, which help veterans access telehealth through connected community locations. The Foundation for Rural Service’s program brings together rural broadband, Department of Veterans Affairs resources, and local partners to create private spaces for accessing care.

Libraries, fire stations, clinics, and other community hubs featured in the conversation as potential access points that are familiar and accessible. The larger lesson was to pair digital capability with places and people residents already know.

Sometimes the next step is getting back to basics

One of the most practical examples promoted encouraging patients to read their mail about Medicaid eligibility and renewals.

That example reflected a broader discussion about connecting with people through the channels they actually use and trust. Community radio, local newspapers, mailed notices, and personal outreach remain part of the conversation alongside digital tools.

Participants highlighted the role of small, hyperlocal radio stations, including stations outside the NPR network, as trusted sources of community information and important channels during disaster response. They also discussed the importance of understanding who holds trust locally, including farmers, ranchers, and other community figures whose roles may differ from those in urban settings.

Public research offers relevant context: Pew Research Center’s September 2025 national survey found that 70% of U.S. adults had at least some trust in information from local news organizations, compared with 56% for national news organizations. Those findings describe U.S. adults overall, not rural residents specifically.

The discussion identified an opportunity for healthcare and community organizations to coordinate outreach around Medicaid and other healthcare access changes: reinforce official information through multiple channels and help people understand where to turn for assistance. Text messaging, ambassador programs, and train-the-trainer approaches were among the methods raised.

Rural access includes physical health, mental health, and social connection

The conversation encompassed children’s health, children’s mental health, substance use disorders, aging, routine access to care, and social connection. Prenatal care and childcare were also raised in a discussion of farmers and ranchers and the central role of agriculture and the food economy in rural community life. Participants brought perspectives concerning older adults, people with disabilities, young people, veterans, and agricultural communities.

Health-related social needs such as transportation, housing, and access to nutritious food, were part of this broader understanding of access. Examples included bringing medical, dental, and behavioral healthcare together in one location and incorporating annual social-health screening into care. Social connectedness alongside access to clinical services was discussed as essential to whole health.

These perspectives reinforced the importance of listening to people living and working in rural communities rather than treating rural America as a single, uniform audience. Different populations and places may need different combinations of services, communication channels, technology, and personal support.

Moving from conversation to collaboration

The roundtable returned to a practical question: what becomes possible when organizations combine their strengths?

Health plans, community organizations, digital health navigators, community access points, local-media partnerships, and coordinated outreach offered examples of where collaboration could take shape. Across those approaches, the focus remained on connecting people with care, useful information, and one another.

Resources for Further Exploration

Digital Access Coordinator Program Playbook — Benton Institute for Broadband & Society

A practical resource for healthcare organizations developing digital navigator programs and addressing patients’ digital-access and skills gaps.

Virtual Living Room — Foundation for Rural Service

Information about community-based spaces that connect rural veterans with VA telehealth, including guidance on partnerships, locations, and program support.

Trust in Local and National News — Pew Research Center

National research on trust in news sources. For additional historical context, see the 2019 Knight/Gallup study on public trust in local news.

Medicaid Community Engagement Requirements — CMS

Federal implementation context for organizations planning outreach. For individual eligibility, renewal, and enrollment questions, consult the relevant state Medicaid agency.

Rural Health Transformation Program — Medicaid.gov

An overview of the program’s funding structure and permitted uses, including technology-enabled approaches to rural care.

Organizations Represented

Participation does not imply endorsement of every view summarized in this brief.

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia; Benton Institute for Broadband & Society; CHC: Creating Healthier Communities; Connect Humanity; EdWeek Market Brief; Elevance Health; Fauquier Free Clinic; Fisher House Foundation; Meals on Wheels America; National Academy for State Health Policy; National Association of Medicaid Directors; National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services; National Farmers Union; National Federation of Community Broadcasters; National Health Council; Nelson Network Advisors; NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association; Sirona Strategies; Social Driver; The Trevor Project; USAging.