Tag: Caroline Stoner

MHA Monday Report June 1, 2026

Member News, Monday Report

Register for Always Caring, Always Advancing Webinar

The MHA is hosting a member webinar introducing Always Caring, Always Advancing, a new multi-year statewide public affairs campaign, from 1 to 2 p.m. on June 3. The campaign is designed to highlight the impact …

HRSA Finalizes Maternity Care Target Area Changes

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 …

Application Deadline Nears for MHA Governance Fellowship

The application deadline for the 2026-27 cohort of the MHA Excellence in Governance Fellowship is June 26. Trustees from small and rural hospitals to large health systems across the state have graduated from this one-of-a-kind …

Hospitals Help: Schoolcraft Memorial Expands Access to Financial Assistance for Rural Residents

The teams at Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital are working to expand access to financial assistance to ensure residents across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula don’t delay or forego essential care. As rising healthcare costs continue to impact communities …

Michigan Hospitals, Always caring, always advancing.

The Keckley Report

“With 6 months until the mid-term elections, and media coverage of polls increasing, it’s important that healthcare stakeholders understand public views of the system, and more important, the beliefs that underly these views. …

The public’s belief in the health system needs immediate attention not to justify yesterday’s business practices but its commitment to a transformed system tomorrow. Public opinion about the U.S. health system is concerning.”

News to Know

  • Community Health Improvement Week is June 8-12.
  • The May edition of Trustee Insights, the monthly digital resource from the American Hospital Association, explores essential traits that support meaningful board oversight, strategic insight and positive working relationships, as well as the evolving cybersecurity threat landscape and key actions trustees can take to strengthen governance.

HRSA Finalizes Maternity Care Target Area Changes

Rural Health Updates, Member News

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.

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.