Advancing Rural Health: ECRI Collaborates with Massachusetts General Hospital on ARPA-H Initiative Developing Mobile Medical Units

WILLOW GROVE, Pa., Nov. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- What if we could deliver advanced hospital-level care to every rural county in America? That's the question that PARADIGM set out to answer.

The Platform Accelerating Rural Access to Distributed and InteGrated Medical Care (PARADIGM) program aims to improve rural health by creating a scalable vehicle platform that can provide advanced medical services outside of a hospital setting. This new mobile care platform will allow healthcare providers to meet rural patients where they are, leveraging technological advancements in satellite communication and medical device miniaturization.

PARADIGM is led by Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Massachusetts General Hospital numbers among the PARADIGM awardees contributing to the mobile care platform, adding interoperable medical devices and ensuring security and scalability across care settings.

ECRI, a global healthcare safety nonprofit, is working with Massachusetts General Hospital on this groundbreaking initiative to design and deploy mobile medical vehicles to bring advanced diagnostic and treatment capabilities to underserved areas.

The PARADIGM team will create a multi-functional, rugged electric vehicle platform capable of providing cutting-edge services, including multi-cancer screenings, perinatal care and hemodialysis.

"Selecting the right medical devices for this innovative care environment is crucial for delivering safe, advanced care and ensuring secure, seamless data sharing," said Julian M. Goldman, MD, Principal Investigator of the Massachusetts General Hospital team developing a Medical Internet-of-Things (MIoT) platform for PARADIGM.

ECRI is supporting the Massachusetts General Hospital on the selection of medical devices for the mobile medical unit being designed by the PARADIGM technical and clinical partners, focusing on essential technologies such as vital sign monitors, ultrasound systems, point of care lab testing, and many others.

Drawing on its expertise evaluating the safety and efficacy of healthcare technologies and the safe integration of tech in clinical environments, ECRI will advise on which medical devices to integrate, factoring in security, safety, interoperability, and capabilities in remote environments to ensure the platform is built on a digital ecosystem that allows medical devices, software, and clinical systems to work seamlessly together outside of the hospital setting.

This framework could serve as a scalable model for future mobile healthcare delivery systems, enabling rapid deployment of specialized services in remote areas.

"As rural hospitals continue to reduce services or close at an alarming rate, this project represents a novel approach to bringing care where it's most needed," said Scott Lucas, PhD, vice president of device safety at ECRI. "As we integrate cybersecurity and real-time data exchange capabilities into the foundation of these mobile care platforms, we can ensure they are as safe and secure as the best hospitals in the nation."

"When rural healthcare is under threat, our efforts to improve access to care must grow stronger," said Marcus Schabacker, MD, PhD, President and CEO at ECRI. "Every patient, no matter their zip code, deserves safe, high-quality care close to home. Every mile we bridge between patients and healthcare providers saves lives and strengthens communities. We're proud to play a part in this innovative program."

About ECRI

ECRI is an independent, nonprofit organization improving the safety, quality, and cost-effectiveness of care across all healthcare settings. With a focus on technology evaluation and safety, ECRI is respected and trusted by healthcare leaders and agencies worldwide. For more than fifty-five years, ECRI has built its reputation on integrity and disciplined rigor, with an unwavering commitment to independence and strict conflict-of-interest rules. ECRI is the only organization worldwide to conduct independent medical device evaluations, with labs located in North America and Asia Pacific. ECRI is designated an Evidence-based Practice Center by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and a federally certified Patient Safety Organization by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ECRI acquired The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) in 2020 to address one of the most prolific causes of preventable harm in healthcare, medication errors; then acquired The Just Culture Company in 2024 to transform healthcare workplace cultures – thus creating one of the largest healthcare quality and safety entities in the world. Visit ecri.org to learn more.

SOURCE ECRI