NEW YORK, Feb. 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The National Specialty Care Access Coalition (NSCAC), a collaboration of more than 20 major US health systems, today announced its launch to address the growing breakdown in access to medical specialists across the United States. The coalition brings together health systems, clinicians, technology partners, and policy stakeholders to advance multispecialty, tech-enabled specialty care models designed to expand access for rural communities and underserved urban neighborhoods. Unlike existing efforts that focus on single specialties, individual technologies, or isolated pilot programs, the NSCAC is a health system coalition designed to align multispecialty care models, policy reform, and real-world implementation at national scale.
The launch comes at a pivotal moment. With the introduction of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Rural Health Transformation initiative and more than $50 billion in new federal and state investment, there is unprecedented momentum to rethink how specialty care is delivered nationwide. Yet access gaps remain severe. Nearly 20 percent of Americans live in rural areas, while only about 9 percent of physicians practice there, leaving many rural hospitals without reliable access to core specialties such as neurology, cardiology, maternal fetal medicine, critical care, dermatology, surgery and pediatrics. Similar shortages affect underserved urban communities, where demand for specialty care continues to far exceed available capacity.
The coalition is convened and chaired by Dr. Chethan Sathya, physician executive and nationally recognized leader in public health innovation, and Dr. Raj Narula, physician and national leader in tech-enabled specialty care access. The NSCAC’s founding 20 plus large health systems collectively deliver care across vast rural regions and high-need urban communities nationwide.
“Access to specialty care should never depend on a patient’s ZIP code, income, or background. Advancing health equity requires coordinated, systemic action. Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Rutgers New Jersey Medical School are proud to stand with the National Specialty Care Access Coalition to dismantle barriers, expand access, and ensure every community receives the expert care it deserves,” says Amy P. Murtha, MD, Dean of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and Robert L. Johnson, MD, FAAP, Interim Chancellor of Rutgers Health and Dean of Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.
To support the coalition’s policy and infrastructure work, additional thought partners include former CMS leaders, The Children’s Hospital Association, state hospital associations, The Center for Telehealth and eHealth Law, and technology collaborators that work across rural communities such as T-Mobile , Sevaro Health, and Samsung. Participation does not imply endorsement of any single technology platform. Together, the health system coalition brings leaders together around a shared mandate to move beyond fragmented solutions and define scalable, outcomes driven approaches to specialty care access nationwide.
The National Specialty Care Access Coalition will focus on three initial priorities:
- Standardizing Care Models: Developing scalable, multispecialty care pathways designed for the operational realities of rural hospitals and high-need urban health systems.
- Advancing Policy Reform: Producing a landmark white paper with unified recommendations for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and state Medicaid agencies to modernize reimbursement, licensing, and regulatory frameworks for virtual and network-based specialty care.
- Accelerating Implementation: Sharing real-world learnings on implementation barriers and facilitators, while enabling collaboration among health systems and rural partners to launch pilots across high-impact specialties including neurology, cardiology, maternal fetal medicine, neonatology, critical care, and chronic disease management to inform national standards.
“NSCAC membership affords Dartmouth Health and other members a dynamic opportunity to continue shaping the future of rural healthcare through innovation in technology and telehealth,” said Kevin M. Curtis, MD, MS, Medical Director, Dartmouth Health Connected Care and Center for Telehealth. By collaborating with peer institutions, we can accelerate solutions that overcome longstanding barriers to access, workforce capacity, transportation, cost, and equity. As one of the most rural health systems in the country, Dartmouth Health has long leveraged telehealth to connect patients with the care they need. The advancements generated by NSCAC will be transformative in expanding access and strengthening care delivery across rural communities, including northern New England.”
“We look forward to any opportunity to contribute to sustainability of rural healthcare. This seems like an opportunity that will help us lean into that important part of our mission,” added Adam Hornung, VP Medical Transport-Telehealth-Transfer Centers-Outreach Services, Intermountain Health.
The National Specialty Care Access Coalition will begin formal work in early 2026, with additional health systems invited to submit expressions of interest as the coalition expands.
About the NSCAC
The NSCAC is a national collaborative uniting health systems, clinicians, technology innovators, and policy leaders to confront the widening shortage of medical specialists in rural communities and underserved urban neighborhoods. The coalition focuses on building scalable, tech-enabled multispecialty care models that close persistent access gaps and modernize how specialty care is delivered nationwide.
Founded by leading clinical, public health, and health system experts, NSCAC advances unified standards, policy reform, and multi-system pilots to ensure timely and equitable access to specialty care across the United States.
Press Contact
SpecialtyCareAccess.org
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e1353525-9925-4b30-9bd6-4b0467175d0d
