Common Ground published a story April 28 detailing Michigan’s behavioral health landscape. Lauren LaPine-Ray, DrPH, MPH, vice president, policy & rural health, was cited throughout the article highlighting growing concern about emergency department (ED) boarding. LaPine-Ray notes that hospitals are increasingly serving as the default entry point for patients experiencing mental health crises due to gaps in the behavioral health system. She shared the staggering number of patients – more than 155 – in Michigan emergency departments each day waiting for behavioral health services.
MHA CEO Brian Peters pushed back on a Michigan Health Purchasers Coalition report that falsely represents the federal 340B drug discount program in an article published by MIRS April 29.
Peters highlights the report’s flawed methodology and urges the coalition’s members to engage with Michigan hospitals on solutions that address the real drivers behind rising healthcare costs like the prices set by drug manufacturers.
Members with questions regarding media requests should contact Elise Gonzales at the MHA.
The following statement can be attributed to Brian Peters, CEO of the Michigan Health & Hospital Association, which represents 129 hospitals and health systems across Michigan:
“This latest release from the Michigan Health Purchasers Coalition is yet another entry in their long and troubling pattern of advocacy dressed as research, with predetermined conclusions in search of supporting data. MIHPC is a secretive special interest group, hiding behind the veil of claiming to represent the employer community at large. The report they are citing is not peer-reviewed and, by its own admission, fails to account for major health system variables – variables so significant that their omission alone disqualifies any direct causal claim between 340B participation and pricing differences. If MIHPC and its members are genuinely concerned about affordability, I invite them to direct some of that energy toward drug companies, whose profit margins dwarf those of any hospital system in this state and who spent years deploying every available legal mechanism to delay competition and protect their revenues. These drug companies have the power to make drugs affordable for all Michiganders today.
The MHA and our members remain, as we always have been, ready to engage with anyone willing to have an honest, evidence-based conversation about addressing the real drivers behind rising healthcare costs – all while caring for all Michiganders across the state 24/7.”
Seven rural Michigan hospital leaders were recently appointed as inaugural board members to the newly established MHA Center of Rural Excellenceby 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.
Camryn Smith and Alicia Evans, medical assistants at Trinity Health IHA Medical Group, at the MHA Keystone Center Speak-up! Award presentation.
The Speak-up! Award honors individuals or teams in Michigan hospitals who demonstrate an exceptional commitment to preventing harm to patients or staff. Smith and Evans were recognized for speaking up – and jumping into action – after Smith detected an abnormal blood pressure reading while performing a stitch removal.
“Some of the most powerful acts of courage and leadership come from those early in their career,” said MHA CEO Brian Peters. “The work of the Trinity Health IHA Medical Group team is a strong reminder that every voice matters when it comes to enhancing patient safety. It also underlines the importance of establishing a culture where speaking up is encouraged and supported.”
Upon realizing the patient’s blood pressure results seemed inconsistent using automated equipment, Evans, a medical assistant intern at the time, asked Smith for assistance with a manual pulse check. The two soon learned that the patient’s heart rate was dangerously low and promptly notified an attending provider to further assess the situation.
It was discovered through an electrocardiogram (EKG) that the patient was experiencing an episode of atrial fibrillation (AFib). As a result of Smith and Evans’ prompt attention to detail, the individual was safely transferred to the emergency department for further treatment.
“Camryn and Alicia listened to their instincts and worked together to ensure timely, lifesaving intervention,” said Cindy Elliott, president of Trinity Health Michigan Medical Groups. “Stories like this reinforce our mission and commitment to delivering safe, exceptional care.”
More information about the MHA Keystone Center Speak-up! Award, including criteria and a nomination form, is available online.
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.
“We can’t become what we need to be by remaining what we are.” — Oprah Winfrey
Michiganders heard a clear message from our state and federal leaders last week: healthcare is too expensive and the system is flawed. We agree. Michigan hospitals are deeply invested in providing timely and accessible care, reducing unnecessary administrative burden and improving transparency.
The healthcare landscape in our country is incredibly complex, so it’s imperative to recognize no single action or one-size-fits all approach will create the substantial change we need. For decades, good-faith, reactive polices have attempted to manufacture financial stability for patients and providers by addressing immediate cost pressures, but this approach has only delayed the inevitable conversations we must have about healthcare affordability and sustainability.
Michigan hospitals continue to experience reimbursement rates that fall far below the cost of providing care and our patient population is simultaneously growing older and sicker. Hospitals are continually being asked to do more with less, but even their most innovative efficiency efforts cannot overcome reimbursement that lags far behind the growing cost and complexity of patient care. For example, general inflation rose by 14.1% from 2022 to 2024, while Medicare net inpatient payment rates increased by only 5.1% during the same time period. Access to important healthcare services is at risk when providers are reimbursed at less than the cost of care.
We’re eager to discuss long-term solutions with employers, lawmakers and other healthcare stakeholders, but we cannot address these systemic issues from our back foot. Labor, drug and supply costs are forcing hospitals, especially those in rural areas of the state, to limit services. Maintaining healthcare funding is about protecting access to care in communities across Michigan and not about preserving the status quo.
To create a more affordable system, we need one that is strong enough to withstand change. If we can pair reform and sustainability actions, we can strengthen care and lower costs for everyone long-term.
The Michigan Health & Hospital Association (MHA) released today its 2025 Community Impact Report highlighting community programming and investments from Michigan hospitals that are improving access to care, addressing affordability and advancing the health of communities across every region of the state.
The report showcases 12 hospital-led programs that go beyond the traditional care setting to address community health needs across the state. It also outlines investments totaling more than $4.5 billion in community benefit activities in fiscal year (FY) 2023, from education and prevention services to clinical research, healthcare workforce support and more.
“Michigan hospitals continue to redefine care delivery and create new, innovative access points across the state,” said MHA CEO Brian Peters. “The MHA Community Impact Report is a strong reminder that our hospitals are committed to listening – and responding – to the needs of their communities.”
Programs featured in the report include University of Michigan Health-Sparrow’s mobile health clinic; Henry Ford Health’s hospital-based doula program; Corewell Health Gerber Hospital’s vaping cessation initiative; Mackinac Straits Health System’s retail pharmacy; and efforts by Bronson Battle Creek Hospital to address food insecurity; among many others. This work is a result of strategic investments, local partnerships and support from state and federal healthcare champions.
“Improving community health goes beyond the bedside,” said MHA Board Chair Bill Manns, president and CEO, Bronson Healthcare. “When we invest in programs that address socioeconomic challenges like food insecurity, we’re helping people overcome the barriers that stand between them and a healthier life.”
The full report and community impact stories from hospitals across the state can be accessed on the MHA website.
Based in Greater Lansing, the MHA is the statewide leader representing all community hospitals in Michigan. Established in 1919, the MHA represents the interests of its member hospitals and health systems in both the legislative and regulatory arenas on key issues and supports their efforts to provide quality, cost-effective and accessible care. The MHA’s mission is to advance the health of individuals and communities.
The following statement can be attributed to Brian Peters, CEO of the Michigan Health & Hospital Association.
We are disappointed the Michigan Rural Health Transformation Program application submitted by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services does not include explicit support for Michigan’s 73 rural hospitals.
The application lists four initiatives, none of which include recommendations from Michigan’s rural hospital leaders, who know rural healthcare needs best. Michigan hospitals are set to lose more than $6 billion over the next 10 years due to the federal H.R. 1 Reconciliation Bill. It’s unfortunate Michigan’s application ignored this impact and the intent of Congress to assist rural hospitals most impacted by these federal changes through this program.
This application provided an opportunity to maximize the healthcare impact for rural communities by providing the resources needed by rural Michigan’s leading healthcare providers. While the four initiatives are well intended, the application as submitted fails to maintain access to care in the most meaningful way.
Bridge published a story Nov. 5 sharing five reasons why health insurance rates are rising at increasing rates in the state, which included workforce challenges, expiring enhanced premium tax credits, inflation and drug prices.
MHA CEO Brian Peters is quoted in the story, discussing the benefits of hospital mergers and acquisitions when it comes to maintaining access to care and affording high fixed hospital costs. He also highlighted the MHA’s federal advocacy efforts to extend the enhanced premium tax credits.
“The cost of electronic medical record infrastructure is extraordinary today. The cost of medical liability insurance coverage, the cost of physician practice subsidization,” said Peters. “You’re better able to bear that underlying cost if you’re part of a larger system that has more capital resources.”
Members with any questions regarding media requests should contact John Karasinski at the MHA.
The following statement can be attributed to Brian Peters, CEO of the Michigan Health & Hospital Association.
Michigan’s elected officials demonstrated today a strong, bipartisan commitment to protecting healthcare funding in the state budget. We thank all of those who worked together when it mattered most, especially Gov. Whitmer, Senate Majority Leader Brinks and Speaker of the House Hall for their leadership in agreeing to a budget that will continue to advance the health of individuals and communities throughout the state. Hospitals, healthcare workers and patients have secure state funding for another year, maintaining access to care and protecting important service lines.
