Distance to Care

Access isn’t just about distance - it’s about how care and services are designed, delivered, and experienced.  

Rural residents travel over twice as far for healthcare compared to urban populations. But distance isn’t just a transportation issue. It’s a broader challenge of how people access the care, services, and support they need — when and where they need them.  

Status

  • 1. Discovery ⬅

    Listen first. Ground in community needs and rural insight.

  • 2. Recruit

    Source the right partners -- technology and community.

  • 3. Accelerate

    Prepare, align, and design for pilot success in a four-week Accelerator.

  • 4. Implement

    Launch, support, and learn in real time.

  • 5. Report

    Turn results into insights that scale impact.

Exploring new solutions to rural distance challenges 

We are in the early stages of shaping work — and we want to do this alongside communities.  

We aim to collaborate with rural organizations to:  

  • Identify the most pressing access challenges  

  • Define high-impact opportunities grounded in real-world needs  

  • Understand rural-specific barriers to implementing technology  

  • Explore innovative technology solutions that can meaningfully improve access  

  • Build pathways toward pilots and scalable solutions  

Start with a conversation. Stay for a pilot.

We’re looking to connect with organizations interested in shaping this work. 

Start with a low-commitment conversation to share how distance challenges are affecting your community. From there, explore opportunities to deepen your involvement through a potential pilot. 

Let's talk
Let's talk

We’d love to hear from:

  • State and county public agencies 

  • Community-based organizations and service providers 

  • Healthcare systems  

  • Health insurance companies 

  • Technology and innovation partners 

  • Funders and ecosystem leaders 

What’s in it for you:  

  • Paid insights 

  • Access to resources, funding and people to solve your most pressing issues 

  • Opportunities to be featured in national thought leadership  

  • Potential pilot and demo opportunities 

Approaches we’re exploring 

Across the country, communities, providers, and innovators are rethinking what access can look like in rural communities. Not just moving people, but reimagining systems.  

We’re seeing four promising approaches emerge: 

  • Move the person – Use technology and new models to make travel more efficient, coordinated, and accessible 

  • Move the clinic – Bring care into communities through mobile units, pop-ups, and decentralized service models 

  • Move the goods – Deliver medications, diagnostics, and supplies to people without requiring travel 

  • Remove the clinic – Provide care and services in the home, reducing the need for physical infrastructure.  

Schedule a conversation to share your perspective on what’s most promising.