What You Should Know:
– Lumeris, a leader in healthcare technology and services announced the formation of a powerful new coalition, the Collaborative for Healthy Rural America (CHRA). The CHRA has b een established to provide an immediate and scalable execution path for state leaders participating in the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHT), administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
– The coalition brings together a formidable team of industry leaders: Lumeris, Teladoc Health, Nuna, Deloitte, and Unite Us. Together, they will deploy an AI-enabled interoperable operating platform designed to accelerate the states’ ability to realize their RHT visions, connecting patients and clinicians and bringing national economies of scale to local care delivery in rural communities.
The Urgent Need: Gaps in Care for Millions of Rural Americans
The formation of CHRA is driven by the urgent crisis facing healthcare in rural America:
- Provider Shortfall: The nation faces a shortfall of over 87,000 primary care physicians in the next decade, with the gap being most acute in rural areas.
- Hospital Closures: Nearly 190 rural hospitals have closed since 2005, and over 600 remain financially at risk, leaving millions without consistent access to basic care.
- Suboptimal Care: More than 100 million Americans lack primary care access, and another 100 million receive fragmented or suboptimal care.
The coalition aims to address these challenges through shared infrastructure, unified data, and modern technology—ultimately building a sustainable rural healthcare delivery ecosystem for future generations.
Primary Care as a Service (PCaaS): The AI-Driven Solution
At the core of the CHRA’s solution is Primary Care as a Service (PCaaS), a scalable, technology-driven platform that promises to transform the local delivery of care:
- Expanded Access: Utilizing Teladoc Health’s virtual care network to provide 24/7 urgent care, mental health, and chronic care services.
- Improved Management: Strengthening preventive care and improving chronic disease management with Nuna’s AI-native mobile coaching app.
- Reduced Burden: Stabilizing rural healthcare finances and reducing administrative burden through Lumeris’ platform.
- Community Integration: Connecting rural residents to essential community and social support services using Unite Us’ integration platform.
Google Cloud’s AI models and infrastructure power Lumeris’ Tom™ platform, providing the backbone technology that brings together cloud computing, AI, and primary care expertise. As Mike Long, CEO of Lumeris, noted, “We fully support RHT’s goal to build a sustainable rural healthcare delivery ecosystem for future generations—one that ultimately lifts the burden on strained state and federal budgets.”
Coalition Roles: Leveraging Deep Technology and Expertise
The CHRA members each play a critical role, ensuring a comprehensive, technology-driven approach to transformation:
| Organization | Core Role in CHRA |
| Lumeris | Primary Care as a Service Platform & AI-Enabled Tom™ platform backbone. |
| Teladoc Health | High Quality Virtual Care Delivery, expanding access to specialists and urgent care. |
| Nuna | Daily Virtual Coach for Chronic Disease Management via an AI-native mobile app. |
| Deloitte | Data Systems Interoperability, data integration, and Program Operations. |
| Unite Us | Human Services Coordination and Community Network Integration. |
