Category: Rural Health Updates

Rural hospitals across Michigan play a vital role in ensuring access to care, supporting local economies and meeting the unique health needs of their communities.

Bipartisan Policy Center to Host Webinar on Rural Health Transformation Program

Member News, Rural Health Updates

The Bipartisan Policy Center will host a webinar June 30 from 11 a.m. to noon EDT on how states are leveraging funding through the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) to strengthen rural healthcare delivery through technology and workforce investments.

Administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the RHTP provides $50 billion over five years to support state-led efforts to improve rural healthcare. States are using the funding for a variety of initiatives, including digital infrastructure, telehealth expansion and workforce development programs designed to improve access to care in rural communities.

Lauren LaPine-Ray, DrPH, MPH, vice president, policy & rural health, MHA, and executive director, MHA Center of Rural Excellence, will serve as a panelist. She will join rural health leaders from across the country to discuss how states are implementing RHTP initiatives and what federal policies may be needed to sustain these investments over the long term.

Additional panelists include Andy Lowe, executive director, New England Rural Health Association; and Lloyd Sirmons, executive director, Southeastern Telehealth Resource Center and Georgia Rural Health Association. The discussion will be moderated by Kevin Bennett, director, South Carolina Center for Rural and Primary Healthcare, and rural health fellow with The Commonwealth Fund.

Registration for the webinar is required, and MHA rural hospital members are encouraged to attend.

Members with questions may contact Lauren LaPine-Ray at the MHA Center of Rural Excellence.

HRSA Finalizes Maternity Care Target Area Changes

Member News, Rural Health Updates

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) recently finalized updates to the criteria for designating Maternity Care Health Professional Target Areas, effective Aug. 15, 2026. The revised methodology removes the Social Vulnerability Index and places greater emphasis on travel time to the nearest maternity care provider and population‑to‑provider ratio in determining scores. The changes are intended to better reflect access to maternity care services and provider availability in underserved areas.

The revised criteria may also better align with federal workforce recruitment programs that rely on shortage designations, including National Health Service Corps loan repayment opportunities. HRSA estimates some communities may receive lower designation scores under the updated approach.

The changes may affect rural hospitals that provide obstetric services or have recently reduced obstetric care, as well as organizations participating in federal maternity workforce programs. The MHA will monitor implementation and share Michigan‑specific information as it becomes available.

Members with questions may contact Caroline Stoner at the MHA Center of Rural Excellence.

Safe Table to Focus on Medication Safety in Rural Hospitals

Patient Safety and Quality, Rural Health Updates, Member News

The MHA Keystone Center Patient Safety Organization (PSO) will host an in-person Safe Table on May 28 at Mackinac Straits Hospital in St. Ignace. The session will focus on strategies to prevent medication errors in rural care settings.

Rural hospitals often face unique challenges, including limited resources and infrequent exposure to high-risk clinical situations. The discussion will examine how reliance on individual vigilance can increase safety risks and highlight system-level strategies to improve medication safety before harm occurs.

The Safe Table will be led by John Wininger, PharmD, BCSCP, director of pharmacy, Mackinac Straits Health System. Attendance is limited to encourage meaningful discussion. Registration is free for MHA Keystone Center PSO members.

Continuing education credits are being pursued for this event. Additional details on available credit types and instructions for claiming credit will be shared once accreditation is confirmed.

The MHA Keystone Center PSO is also seeking speakers for future Safe Table events. Members with innovative approaches, best practices or lessons learned are encouraged to apply. Members seeking more information about participating or serving as a speaker may contact Clarence Rucker IV at the MHA Keystone Center.

House Passes 2026 Farm Bill with Rural Health Provisions

Member News, Rural Health Updates

The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026, on April 30, which includes several provisions supporting rural healthcare infrastructure, broadband expansion and behavioral health services. The legislation includes six provisions championed by the National Rural Health Association (NRHA), several of which directly affect rural hospital operations, financial sustainability and patient care. All programs would be reauthorized through fiscal year 2031, a meaningful commitment to rural health infrastructure.

Key Provisions for Rural Hospitals

Technical Assistance for Rural Providers

The legislation codifies and expands the existing U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Health Care Facility Technical Assistance Program, which supports rural facilities in preventing closures, strengthening essential services and improving financial sustainability. Eligible facilities would include critical access hospitals, rural emergency hospitals, rural health clinics, community health centers, home health agencies and psychiatric hospitals.

This change ensures more Michigan rural providers can access support before reaching a crisis point. The program is authorized at $2 million annually for fiscal years 2026-2030. The bill also expands the use of the Community Facilities Loan and Grant Program to help rural hospitals access capital funding.

Broadband and Telehealth Expansion

The legislation includes several broadband and telehealth investments aimed at improving connectivity in rural communities.

The ReConnect Program would transition into a new ReConnect Rural Broadband Program authorized at $350 million annually for five years, with minimum eligibility speeds raised to 50/25 Mbps. The program prioritizes underserved rural communities.

The Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) Program would be reauthorized at $82 million annually to support telehealth infrastructure and equipment for rural hospitals and health systems. The Community Connect Grant Program would also be reauthorized at $50 million annually to support the construction of broadband networks in unserved communities.

Rural Behavioral Health Services

The bill extends the existing 20% set-aside in the DLT Program and prioritizes substance use disorder projects in the Community Facilities Loan and Grant Program. The legislation also expands eligibility to include mental health, behavioral health and maternal health treatment services.

According to NRHA, the provisions would help rural hospitals strengthen behavioral health services and expand access to care in underserved communities.

The legislation also includes broader rural health-related provisions supporting agricultural workforce development, rural food security programs and farmer mental health initiatives through reauthorization of the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network.

Next Steps

The Senate Agriculture Committee has not yet released its version of the Farm Bill, though the committee leadership has indicated legislative text is expected in the coming weeks. Differences between the House and Senate versions will need to be reconciled before final passage.

The NRHA is urging rural hospitals and health advocates to contact members of Congress and press the Senate to act. MHA rural members are encouraged to engage through the NRHA’s Farm Bill Advocacy Campaign.

Members with questions may contact Caroline Stoner at the MHA Center of Rural Excellence.

Bridge Highlights Challenges in Rural Medical Transport

Rural Health Updates, Member News

Bridge Michigan published a story May 7 detailing how federal funding cuts to Medicaid will further exacerbate rural hospitals’ capacity to treat and transport patients requiring more specialized care.

Lauren LaPineLauren LaPine-Ray, DrPH, MPH, vice president, policy & rural health, MHA, and executive director, MHA Center of Rural Excellence, is featured throughout the story highlighting existing barriers with medical transport and warning how Medicaid cuts could further limit local services, increasing the need to transfer more patients to higher-acuity facilities.

In the article, LaPine-Ray outlines how lawmakers can reduce strain on hospitals and EMS providers:

  • Create a new license type specifically for transporting psychiatric patients, freeing ambulances for other needs. Two bills pending in the state Senate would do so.
  • Review regulations surrounding ambulance services — both ground and air — to cut red tape.
  • Invest in paramedic and emergency medical technician training and recruitment to help reduce the shortages straining the system.

Members with questions regarding media requests should contact Elise Gonzales at the MHA.

Rural Hospital Leaders Appointed to MHA Center of Rural Excellence Board of Trustees

News Releases, Rural Health Updates, Member News

Seven rural Michigan hospital leaders were recently appointed as inaugural board members to the newly established MHA Center of Rural Excellence by the Michigan Health & Hospital Association (MHA) Board of Trustees. These members are responsible for providing formal governance for the new organization.

Jeremiah J. Hodshire, president and chief executive officer, Hillsdale Hospital, will serve as the center’s chair and the MHA Board of Trustees representative for a three-year term.

In addition to Hodshire, the MHA Board of Trustees approved the appointment of six rural healthcare leaders to serve on the MHA Center of Rural Excellence Board:

  • Thomas Kurtz, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer, Memorial Healthcare, will serve a three-year term. Andrew Raymond, chief executive officer, Kalkaska Memorial Health Center, represents Michigan’s independent hospitals alongside Kurtz and will serve a two-year term.
  • Amanda Shelast, Marshfield Clinic Network President, Michigan and South, will serve a one-year term. Wendy Frush, RN, chief executive officer, Munising Memorial Hospital will serve a two-year term. Shelast and Frush represent the association’s rural members in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
  • Peter Marinoff, chief executive officer, Munson Healthcare Southern Region, will serve a one-year term and represent the state’s critical access hospitals.
  • Ross Ramsey, MD, chief executive officer, Scheurer Health, will serve a three-year term as the board’s physician representative.

“This board brings together rural healthcare leaders from across the state who share a commitment to preserving care close to home for Michiganders,” said MHA CEO Brian Peters. “Under their leadership, the MHA Center of Rural Excellence will prioritize policies and initiatives that allow rural hospitals to remain resilient and responsive to the needs of their communities.”

The MHA Center of Rural Excellence, a 501(c)(6) organization, was created to formalize and strengthen the collective voice of rural hospitals through support tailored to the unique challenges of Michigan’s rural providers.

MDHHS Convenes Statewide RHTP Advisory Council

Member News, Rural Health Updates

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) convened the first Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) Advisory Council meeting on April 13.

Three rural hospital leaders from MHA-member hospitals serve on the council: Julie Yaroch, DO, CEO, ProMedica Charles and Virginia Hickman Hospital; Jeremy Cannon, vice president, chief nursing officer, Kalkaska Memorial Hospital; and Robert Mach, MBA, FACHE, ARRT, CEO, Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital. Lauren LaPine-Ray, DrPH, MPH, vice president, policy & rural health, executive director, MHA Center of Rural Excellence, represents the association on the council.

The meeting opened with welcome remarks and introductions from MDHHS RHTP staff, followed by a high-level overview of the program and members’ orientation to the advisory council, including a review of its charter and governance structure to clarify roles, expectations and decision-making processes.

The remainder of the meeting focused on a facilitated virtual breakout session to define what success will look like for the advisory council in one year. The session concluded with the next steps and time for questions and reflections.

Members with questions may contact Lauren LaPine-Ray at the MHA.

Hospitals Help: Hillsdale Works to Improve Access for Rural Residents

Hospitals Help, Rural Health Updates, Member News

Rural hospitals are the heart of their communities, providing care close to home in addition to jobs, stability and reassurance that help is nearby in life’s most pivotal moments. Despite their essential role, rural providers across the state and country are challenged by limited resources, workforce shortages and constrained infrastructure.

Knowing this reality first-hand, the teams at Hillsdale Hospital are focused on advocating for rural communities and ensuring patients don’t lose access to routine or specialty care.

Personalized Primary Care

To address the unique needs of local residents, Hillsdale starts by listening. The hospital’s primary care team – spread across five local clinics – does this by focusing on understanding each patient’s needs to develop individualized health plans.

“Hillsdale Hospital’s core values include local access to care for our patients,” said Jeremiah J. Hodshire, president and chief executive officer, Hillsdale Hospital. “Everyone deserves access to healthcare, when and where they need it. That’s why expanding our primary care options is so important to us.”

In understanding that it can be difficult and time-consuming for patients to get to the hospital for lab draws, Hillsdale also decided to install outpatient laboratories inside their clinics. The decision has been well-received by community members and streamlines testing protocol for providers.

Hillsdale Spine Center was announced in January 2026 to provide a full continuum of neurosurgical spine care.

Addressing Specialty Needs

Knowing there was a local need for advanced neurosurgical care, Hillsdale responded by onboarding a neurosurgeon and opening their Hillsdale Spine Center. Residents can now receive a full spectrum of care, including minimally invasive spine surgery, spine fusion, spine fracture treatments and treatment for herniated discs. The team also recently completed their first lumbar total disc replacement, an innovative treatment that isn’t widely available.

“I couldn’t imagine where I’d be at if I didn’t get the surgery,” said the patient, who previously struggled with severe back pain for more than 15 years. “[The procedure] was the best thing I’ve ever done.”

Uplifting Rural Voices

Hillsdale teams are also finding meaningful ways to speak up for rural patients and providers. In a new podcast series titled, “Rural Health Fractured,” conversations center around sustainable solutions to today’s pressing rural healthcare issues.

Additionally, Hodshire will serve as board chair of the MHA Center of Rural Excellence, a 501(c)(6) organization created to formalize and strengthen the collective voice of rural hospitals through targeted advocacy and support tailored to the unique challenges Michigan’s rural providers face.

Those with questions or content ideas for the Hospitals Help series may contact Lucy Ciaramitaro at the MHA.

Michigan Health & Hospital Association Establishes MHA Center of Rural Excellence

Rural Health Updates, News Releases

The Michigan Health & Hospital Association (MHA) today announced the establishment of the MHA Center of Rural Excellence, a 501(c)(6) organization created to formalize and strengthen the collective voice of rural hospitals through support tailored to the unique challenges of Michigan’s rural providers, including targeted advocacy efforts on their behalf.

“Rural hospitals are navigating increasing financial strain, workforce shortages and complex funding structures that were not developed with rural realities in mind,” said MHA CEO Brian Peters. “The MHA Center of Rural Excellence is designed to provide dedicated advocacy and governance to give rural hospitals the support needed to manage these challenges and continue caring for their communities.”

Michigan ranks fourth for the number of residents living in rural counties with a full or partial primary care workforce shortage and sixth for residents living in rural counties with a shortage of mental health professionals, according to the University of Michigan’s Institute for Healthcare Policy & Innovation.

The MHA Center of Rural Excellence will elevate rural‑specific perspectives to policymakers, ensuring rural hospitals’ distinct challenges receive the attention they deserve. This approach will position rural hospital leaders at the center of state policy decisions that directly affect the communities they serve.

The MHA Center of Rural Excellence will also have a specific focus on Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) funding, including efforts to maximize the amount of available resources that can be dedicated to rural Michigan hospitals.

Lauren LaPine-Ray, DrPH, MPH, will serve as executive director of the MHA Center of Rural Excellence. Jeremiah J. Hodshire, president and chief executive officer, Hillsdale Hospital, will chair the member-led board.

For more information, visit the MHA Center of Rural Excellence webpage.

KFF Health News: Rural Health Transformation Program Fund Allocation

Rural Health Updates, Member News

KFF Health News published a story March 4 detailing concerns from hospital leaders and lawmakers across the country about how states plan to spend new federal rural health funding.

The $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) is designed to drive innovation and maintain access in rural communities following significant federal Medicaid cuts.

Lauren LaPineLauren LaPine-Ray, DrPH, MPH, vice president, policy and rural health, MHA, is quoted in the article, raising concerns about rural hospitals’ ability to access critical funds due to the complexity and competitiveness of state grants.

The article was syndicated by CBS News and Fierce Healthcare.

LaPine-Ray was also featured in Modern Healthcare’s article discussing the challenges associated with securing RHTP dollar. She notes how specific grant requirements surrounding population health data analytics-backed care coordination programs and technology implementation will negatively impact rural hospitals.

“Funding care coordination and community initiatives is a wonderful thing, but given the short timeframe and the fact CMS will judge programs over one year, rural hospitals are worried about funds being retroactively pulled back,” she said. “With Medicaid redeterminations and Medicaid cuts coming in 2027, rural hospitals may not have the luxury to choose between committing to do something new or trying to keep their doors open.”

Members with questions regarding media requests should contact Elise Gonzales at the MHA.