Lauren LaPine-Ray, vice president, policy & rural health, MHA, and executive director, MHA Center of Rural Excellence, spoke with Crain’s Detroit Business following the June 16 closure announcement for Sturgis Hospital.
LaPine-Ray highlighted the significant financial strain facing Michigan’s rural hospitals, emphasizing the disproportionate impact of rising costs, lower patient volumes and declining Medicaid payments on these providers.
During the interview, she noted that Michigan’s two most recent hospital closures occurred before the Medicaid reductions outlined in H.R. 1 take effect, raising concerns about additional closures once the cuts are implemented.
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