on Dec 02, 2025

Broadband: The Missing Link in Rural Healthcare

Rural healthcare in America is at a pivotal moment. Earlier this year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services launched the multibillion-dollar Rural Health Transformation Program — one of the most significant federal investments in rural care delivery in decades. In a new Route Fifty op-ed, Principal Shawn Daugherty argues that its success depends on something often overlooked: reliable, affordable high-speed broadband.

 

Connectivity is now fundamental to care delivery. Without it, rural patients and providers cannot access electronic health records, participate in telehealth, or use remote monitoring tools, limiting the very innovations the program is designed to advance.

 

Shawn underscores that broadband access and digital literacy are essential determinants of health, and that investments in digital infrastructure must be integrated with rural healthcare strategy from the start. She points to proven models, including statewide digital equity plans and community-based digital navigator programs, that demonstrate how coordinated approaches can expand access and improve outcomes.

 

 

Read Shawn’s full op-ed here.