Science Applications International Corp. has launched a national alliance to help states implement the federal Rural Health Transformation Program.

The new Alliance for Advancing Rural Healthcare brings together SAIC with Arcadia, Castlight Health, Covista, Mission Mobile Medical, Telemedicine.com, TruBridge and Walgreens. The coalition aims to help states carry out the $50 billion initiative led by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to strengthen rural healthcare systems.

In Alabama, Governor Kay Ivey has designated the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs as the lead agency for the Alabama Rural Health Transformation Program. The state received $203 million for the program’s first year under a five-year cooperative agreement with CMS.

“The RHT Program is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for states to fundamentally strengthen rural healthcare,” said Srini Attili, SAIC executive vice president of the Civilian Business Group. “Funding alone does not deliver tangible results. We brought together the AARH partners to help states move from strategy to execution.”

According to SAIC, the alliance will support states in modernizing health information technology, expanding telehealth and mobile care, stabilizing rural hospitals and addressing workforce shortages.

Suresh Soundararajan, SAIC’s Rural Health Transformation Program lead and a former Virginia Department of Health chief information officer, said states need partners that understand public sector accountability and healthcare operations.

“AARH helps states overcome these hurdles, delivering sustainable, people-centered solutions that address the critical needs of rural communities,” he said.

The federal Rural Health Transformation Program is funded entirely by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through CMS. 

Huntsville is home to SAIC’s largest single workforce outside of Virginia, with more than 2,800 associates.