Tag: lauren LaPine-Ray

MHA Monday Report June 22, 2026

Member News, Monday Report

House Speaker Introduces Hospital Cost Review Board and New Health Tax

Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) announced legislation June 18 that would establish a hospital cost review board and create new health facility consolidation measures. The MHA believes these proposals would severely harm hospitals, …

House Health Policy Hears Testimony on Behavioral Health Transport Legislation

Legislation addressing behavioral health transport received testimony in the House Health Policy Committee during the week of June 15, while other key healthcare bills advanced in the legislature. House Bills 5943–5944, sponsored by Reps. …

Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule Data Reporting Due July 31

The Protecting Access to Medicare Act reformed the Medicare Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule by establishing a single national fee schedule based on private-market data from applicable laboratories serving Medicare beneficiaries, including hospital outreach, …

Michigan Hospital Leaders Discuss Key Healthcare Issues at Mackinac Policy Conference

Healthcare leaders from across the state joined Rich Helppie, host of The Common Bridge Podcast, May 27 at the 2026 Mackinac Policy Conference to discuss key healthcare issues impacting Michigan hospitals and the communities they serve. …

MHA Releases Updated Medicaid and Medicare Enrollment Analysis

The MHA recently updated its analysis of Medicaid and Medicare enrollment using May 2026 data. The analysis includes program enrollment as a percentage of each county’s total population, along with the distribution of beneficiaries enrolled in fee-for-service …

June 26 Application Deadline: Excellence in Governance Fellowship

Applications for the 2026–27 MHA Excellence in Governance Fellowship are due June 26. The fellowship helps hospital board members strengthen their expertise and leadership skills to enhance their impact within their organizations. Trustees from small …

MDHHS Launches Michigan Psychiatric Bed Registry Dashboard

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) recently launched the Michigan Psychiatric Bed Registry Dashboard, a statewide tool designed to help authorized users identify available inpatient psychiatric beds and support timely placement for …

The ‘Why’ Behind Hospital Mergers and Acquisitions

When a hospital announces a merger or acquisition, the story behind the decision is rarely as simple or straightforward as a single headline may sound. It’s often a very deliberate process that involves months of rigorous research and financial analysis, and more than anything, rooted in what’s best for the communities a hospital serves. Rural hospitals across Michigan face …

Hospitals Help: MyMichigan Health, YMCA Summer Camp Gives Kids a Closer Look at Healthcare

The YMCA of Saginaw is giving local kids a front-row seat to the world of healthcare this summer thanks to a partnership with MyMichigan Health. The Health Careers Summer Camp will run daily from June …

Michigan Hospitals, Always caring, always advancing.

The Keckley Report

‘Corporate Health Insurers’: Will the Gambit Work?

“Last week, the Coalition to Strengthen America’s Healthcare released survey results about escalating health costs placing blame squarely on ‘corporate health insurers’. The American Hospital Association, a founding member of the Coalition, reported “A survey conducted by Morning Consult on behalf the Coalition to Strengthen America’s Healthcare, found that 47% of voters believe corporate health insurers are the primary driver of rising healthcare costs, followed by the federal government at 36% and drug companies at 34%.” (AHA June 13, 2026). …

The Coalition’s survey is notable in its specific attention to “corporate insurers” and its timing: Congress and CMS are putting final touches on the FY27 federal budget, states are managing cuts to Medicaid and new work requirements and campaign 2026 looms.

Every hospital and insurer—whether not for profit or investor owned, independent or affiliated, large or small—is impacted by growing hostility toward corporatization in healthcare. How organizations respond will determine the ultimate transformation of the system.”

Paul Keckley, June 14, 2026

News to Know

The MHA and Endorsed Business Partner AMN Healthcare will host the webinar, “Maximizing Every Dollar: Using AI and Data to Strategically Plan Your Workforce and Eliminate Administrative Barriers” from 11 a.m. to noon ET July 15.

MHA in the News

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 …

MDHHS Launches Michigan Psychiatric Bed Registry Dashboard

Member News

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) recently launched the Michigan Psychiatric Bed Registry Dashboard, a statewide tool designed to help authorized users identify available inpatient psychiatric beds and support timely placement for individuals experiencing behavioral health crises.

The registry provides near-real-time psychiatric bed availability data from hospitals across Michigan. It was developed by MDHHS in collaboration with the Psychiatric Bed Registry Advisory Workgroup, which included the MHA and other behavioral health stakeholders.

According to MDHHS, all hospitals with inpatient psychiatric beds have been onboarded and trained on the system and are currently reporting bed availability. Hospitals are expected to update bed availability information as close to real time as possible. Staff who have not been trained should contact MDHHS.

Access is currently limited to authorized staff from emergency departments, psychiatric facilities, Community Mental Health Service Programs and Prepaid Inpatient Health Plans who are involved in the psychiatric inpatient authorization and placement process. MDHHS indicated the advisory workgroup will continue evaluating to enhance the registry.

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

MHA Monday Report June 15, 2026

Member News, Monday Report

Behavioral Health Screening Legislation Advances

The House Health Policy Committee advanced legislation addressing preadmission screening assessments for behavioral health patients, as other healthcare bills advanced in the legislature during the week of June 8. The House Health Policy Committee voted …

Michigan Hospital Leaders Discuss Key Healthcare Issues at Mackinac Policy Conference

Healthcare leaders from across the state joined Rich Helppie, host of The Common Bridge Podcast, May 27 at the 2026 Mackinac Policy Conference to discuss key healthcare issues impacting Michigan hospitals and the communities they …

MHA EventsMichigan for Vaccines Launches Statewide Coalition

The MHA hosted the launch of Michigan for Vaccines May 10 at the MHA Capitol Advocacy Center. The coalition was created to strengthen Michigan’s commitment to evidence-based vaccine recommendations. It brings together healthcare organizations and other …

Bipartisan Policy Center to Host Webinar on Rural Health Transformation Program

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 to strengthen rural healthcare delivery through …

Advancing Community Health Requires Whole-Person Care

In my years at the bedside and now as a nurse leader in Northern Michigan, I’ve witnessed healthcare at its most complex and its most human. I’ve worked across rural communities where healthcare access isn’t a given. …

Hospitals Help: UM Health-Sparrow Mobile Clinic Bridges Care Gaps

Directly fulfilling its mission to bridge healthcare gaps, the University of Michigan (UM) Health-Sparrow Mobile Health Clinic delivers critical, no-cost medical services directly to communities in need across Mid-Michigan. The 40-foot RV is handicap accessible …

Michigan Hospitals, Always caring, always advancing.

The Keckley Report

The Good, Bad and Ugly in Healthcare all in One Week

“Summer is here and its first week is in the books. Like politics, the economy and life in general, it brought the good, bad and ugly attention to healthcare in the U.S. …

But the bad and ugly news about healthcare seems to dominate media coverage, especially in social media where fact-checking is often shortcut.

For me, the highlight of the week was AHA’s statement committing itself to the pursuit affordability across the system by marshalling its peers to create meaningful solutions. Sign me up. Collaboration is the starting point. Transparency in its deliberations will be necessary to building trust in this process. Inclusion of all proposed solutions subjected to objective review will be its necessary start.  And timing is key: election season tends to distort messaging and draw critics. The urgency of direction is no less key: ideally, meaningful direction and substantive recommendations should follow soon after but be independent of Campaign 2026 results in state and federal elections.”

Paul Keckley, June 7, 2026

News to Know

MHA Endorsed Business Partner CorroHealth is hosting the webinar Root Cause to Revenue: Winning the Battle Against DRG Downgrades July 29 from 2 to 3 p.m. ET.

MHA in the News

MHA CEO Brian Peters recently appeared in an AARP-sponsored segment that aired in the Grand Rapids and Lansing markets to discuss the importance of Medicaid for Michigan residents. Peters highlighted concerns that changes outlined in …

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.

Bridge Highlights Challenges in Rural Medical Transport

Member News, Rural Health Updates

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.

MHA Monday Report May 4, 2026

Member News, Monday Report

Senate Approves Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Budget, Organ Donor Tax Credit Legislation Advances

Several healthcare-related measures, including the full Senate budget and legislation on tax credits for organ donation, saw action during the week of April 27. The Senate advanced its full budget proposal under Senate Bill …

CMS Releases FY 2027 LTCH Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released a proposed rule to update the Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) long-term care hospital (LTCH) prospective payment system (IPPS) for fiscal year (FY) 2027. Highlights of the proposed rule …

Senate Introduces Legislation on Behavioral Health Transport Vehicles

Michigan’s behavioral health system has long faced a critical transportation gap — and the MHA is supporting efforts to close it. Last week, the legislature introduced two bills that represent a significant step forward for patients in crisis and the hospitals …

Fact Check: Drug Pricing Savings Are the Lifeline to Community Healthcare Services

Recent headlines have taken aim at the 340B Program – a federal drug savings initiative that serves as a lifeline to important community healthcare services. As a long-time cardiothoracic surgeon …

 

MDHHS Gun Lock Distribution Map Expands Access to Safe Storage

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) launched a new interactive Gun Lock Distribution Map to help residents locate free firearm safety devices and connect community partners with safe storage resources. The tool identifies more …

UnitedHealth to Expand Rural Payment Pilot Program

UnitedHealthcare Group announced changes to eliminate prior authorization barriers and accelerate payments for rural hospitals nationwide to improve access to care and lower costs. In January 2026, UnitedHealthcare implemented the Rural Payment Acceleration …

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

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 …

Hospitals Help: Mary Free Bed Partnership Addresses Nursing Shortage, Offers Tuition Assistance

Every hour of every day, nurses provide care Michiganders can count on. As staffing shortages continue to impact various sectors of healthcare, Michigan hospitals are focused on creative solutions to …

 

Webinar Recap: Michigan 211 Community Materials Now Available

A recent webinar hosted by the MHA explored regional trends and emerging community needs across Michigan using statewide 2‑1‑1 call data. The event explored insights on call volume, caller demographics and service requests that reflect evolving pressures on individuals …

MHA Keystone Center PSO Dashboard: Turning Safety Data into Action

The MHA Keystone Center Patient Safety Organization (PSO) Dashboard in KeyMetrics provides member hospitals with secure access to harm reporting data sourced from Press Ganey’s NextPlane platform. Designed to support patient safety improvement …

News to KnowNew to Know

The MHA membership will convene in person for the MHA Annual Membership Meeting June 24–26.

Keckley Report

Why Those Outside Healthcare Control its Future

“I study the future of the U.S. health system. The framework I use is based on monitoring trends, lag and lead indicators in five zones of unique relevance in the health industry at home and abroad.

Based on 30 years-plus years of applying this framework to my industry surveillance process, it’s clear that traditional lag indictors like enrollment, utilization, spending, workforce supply-demand et al are less useful in predicting its future. Instead, indicators from outside healthcare seem more aligned to its future than indicators from within.

Objectively, the reality is this: the players outside healthcare including Big Tech, Big Banks and Big Employers are forcing changes faster than healthcare insiders are comfortable and the health system’s future is uncertain as a result.”

Paul Keckley, April 26, 2026

MHA in the News

The MHA received media coverage the week of April 27 covering behavioral health and 340B. Common Ground published a story April 28 detailing Michigan’s behavioral health landscape. Lauren LaPine-Ray, DrPH, MPH, vice president, policy & …

Media Recap: Behavioral Health and Drug Manufacturer Pressures

MHA In The News

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.

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.

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.

Media Recap: Coverage Highlights MHA Insights on Access, Affordability and Innovation

Member News, MHA In The News
Laura Appel, executive vice president, government relations and public policy, MHA, during a panel discussion at the Lake Superior Community Partnership Breakfast & Business event.

The MHA received media coverage during the week of March 30 following Executive Vice President of Government Relations and Public Policy Laura Appel’s participation in two panels focused on key healthcare challenges and opportunities.

WZMQ covered the Lake Superior Community Partnership’s Breakfast & Business event, where Appel and Lauren LaPine-Ray, DrPH, MPH, vice president, policy & rural health, MHA, discussed the unique healthcare landscape and challenges in the Upper Peninsula. Appel and LaPine-Ray emphasized how federal policy decisions could impact access to care and economic stability in the region.

The Michigan Daily reported on the Blueprints for Pangaea Healthcare Business Gala, which included a panel presentation in which Appel discussed the need for cross‑sector collaboration to address healthcare access and affordability.

MLive published a story on projected Medicaid coverage losses following the passage of H.R. 1. MHA CEO Brian Peters was quoted in the article discussing the long-term impact on Michigan hospitals.

“For Michigan hospitals alone, that number is north of $6 billion in negative impact over that 10-year horizon,” said Peters. “You cannot take $6 billion out of the hospital funding line without severe consequences in terms of access to patient care.”

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