Launching 2026

Bridging the Gap Between
Primary & Specialty Care

The National Specialty Care Access Coalition brings together health systems, clinicians, and technology partners to transform specialty care access for rural and underserved communities.

$50B+
Federal & State Funding Available
13+
Priority Specialty Areas
114+
Healthcare Facilities Engaged
Quarterly
Coalition Convenings
The Challenge

Where Access to Specialty Care Breaks Down

Rural Communities

Many hospitals operate without real-time specialty support, leading to delays, avoidable transfers, and higher mortality rates for conditions like stroke and cardiac events.

Underserved Urban Areas

Long specialty wait times, overwhelmed safety-net systems, and fragmented referral pathways force heavy reliance on emergency departments as substitutes for specialty care.

Primary Care Clinicians

Clinicians in high-need settings frequently lack timely specialist input, forcing difficult decisions without support or sending patients into slow, opaque referral systems.

Our Mission

Building Durable Infrastructure That Connects Care

Improving specialty access requires more than increasing specialist supply. It requires durable infrastructure that connects primary care, emergency care, and specialty expertise in real time.

The coalition is intentionally health system-led, with participating systems shaping priorities, agenda, and strategic direction. No financial commitment required.

Rapid Consultation
Real-time specialty input from primary care and ED settings
Async Review
Asynchronous specialty input for diagnostic review and care planning
Virtual-First Pathways
Clarify when patients can be managed locally versus transferred
Shared Accountability
Across primary, specialty, and acute care teams
Priority Areas

Focus Specialties

Neurology & Stroke Cardiology Maternal-Fetal Medicine Critical Care Pulmonology Surgery & Acute Care Neonatal Services Trauma Endocrinology Nephrology Rheumatology Gastroenterology Dermatology Infectious Disease
What We're Building

Core Aims

01

Landmark White Paper

A comprehensive national analysis defining the specialty access crisis, examining workforce trends, wait times, and outcomes. Developed with current and former CMS leaders to directly inform federal and state policy on virtual-first care models, reimbursement frameworks, and cross-state networks.

02

Implementation Pathways

Real-world, multispecialty access networks that strengthen primary-to-specialty care pathways, enable rural hospitals to retain care locally, leverage federal funding for shared infrastructure, and demonstrate measurable improvements in access, outcomes, and equity.

Corporate Collaborators

Join as a Founding Partner

Position your health system as a national leader in solving specialty access gaps. No financial commitment required.