The following article was written by Peter Marinoff, president and CEO, Munson Healthcare’s Southern Region and MHA Small and Rural Hospital Council Chair. National Rural Health Day celebrates the remarkable efforts of hospitals, healthcare teams, community organizations and many others who are dedicated to meeting the unique needs of rural patients and communities.
Every day, I have the honor and privilege of working alongside committed, mission-minded individuals who provide compassionate and patient-centered care to the communities we serve at Munson Healthcare. As I reflect on National Rural Health Day, I want to highlight some of the areas that continue to be top of mind, along with innovative efforts underway to support Michigan’s rural healthcare providers.
Workforce Support
Rural hospitals continue to face staffing shortages in primary care, specialized services and other clinical and non-clinical areas. With this in mind, we’re working to strengthen recruitment and retention efforts while prioritizing healthcare worker well-being.
One notable success from last year was working with the MHA to secure $75 million in workforce funding, which was designed and distributed with small and rural hospitals in mind. Additionally, we worked with the association to successfully advocate for legislation that modernized the scope of practice for certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) and allows Michigan hospitals to be flexible in choosing the anesthesia care model that best fits their patient and staff needs.
Protecting Access
Knowing our patient population is aging and often required to travel significant distances for care, we’ve had to find innovative ways to keep critical service lines accessible.
We have a phenomenal Ask-A-Nurse program at Munson Healthcare, which is a free, 24/7 call center staffed year-round by registered nurses that offer easy access to health-related information and triage services. I’d also be remiss not to mention our Virtual Urgent Care, which helps deliver care guidance to patients with non-life-threatening symptoms or illness.
Another tool rural providers often tap is the 340B Drug Pricing Program, a cost-savings initiative that helps eligible hospitals spread scarce resources to vulnerable patients with limited or no access to healthcare. My colleagues at Mackinac Straits utilize savings from the program to operate a 24-hour pharmacy, so I know they – along with many others – would echo the sentiment that 340B is essential to making care accessible in our rural communities.
Enhancing Mental and Behavioral Health Services
While there are gaps in mental and behavioral healthcare services across the state, more than 60% of rural Americans live in designated mental health provider shortage areas. With this in mind, we’ve continued to put our heads together to address the disparities impacting rural communities specifically. This includes:
- Working with the MHA to advocate for an investment of $8.3 million in the 2025 fiscal year state budget to address demand for substance use disorder (SUD) services.
- Utilizing grant funding specific to small and rural hospitals to expand access to pediatric inpatient psychiatric care.
- Collaborating with community partners, like our Regional Community Health Opioid Initiative, to focus on efforts that address stigma, ensure safe prescribing and educate both patients and providers on SUD.
- Advocating for legislation that adds nurse practitioners and physicians’ assistants into the mental health code in rural areas.
Strengthening Cybersecurity
Making sure rural hospitals have the tools and infrastructure to prevent cybercrime is critical in today’s world. Addressing vulnerabilities helps us avoid disruption to care, protect our data and avoid the financial and legal burdens that often fall on hospitals as a result of these crimes.
Thankfully the White House announced in June collaborative efforts aimed at strengthening cybersecurity for rural hospitals across the United States. When it comes to this issue, it’s important that the facilities with less resources are granted the tools necessary to safeguard data to the same degree as our urban counterparts.
I strongly believe what challenges us in rural healthcare is also what sets us apart. Join me in honoring National Rural Health Day by celebrating the compassionate, resilient and community-driven teams I’m inspired by every day.