MHA Webinar Focuses on Building Trust and Relationships for Trustees

When stakeholders gather to discuss community vitality, the health and wellbeing of the community is not only about access to safe, affordable healthcare, but about non-medical health influences that have an impact on the community. Hospital and health system trustees have powerful voices because they represent views of both the hospital and business, and understand both are needed for community vitality.

The MHA webinar Strategy, Change and Building Trust in Your Community May 23 from noon to 1 p.m. EST will provide examples of behaviors and communication skills board members should possess to be an effective partner and outline facts demonstrating the role of providers in creating and maintaining a vital community and economy.

The series is generously sponsored by HPS, an associate member of the MHA, and free of charge to MHA members. Members with questions about registration should contact Erica Leyko at MHA.

MHA Monday Report May 1, 2023

MHA Monday Report

capitol buildingSubcommittee Budget Recommendations Include Hospital Priorities

The release of the Michigan Senate and House Appropriations Health and Human Services Subcommittee budgets April 25 include broad investments in healthcare and specific investments advocated for by the MHA. The state budget is at …


Annual Meeting iconMHA Annual Membership Meeting Registration Open

Registration remains open for the 2023 MHA Annual Membership Meeting, scheduled June 28 through 30 at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. The annual meeting will feature an outstanding lineup of healthcare experts, including Brian …


Upcoming Grant Deadline for Pediatric Inpatient Behavioral Health Programs

The MHA issued a request for proposal March 16 for a $50 million competitive grant program for Michigan healthcare entities to expand access to pediatric inpatient behavioral health services. The funding was appropriated by …


OCR Ends HIPAA Telehealth Enforcement Discretion

The U.S. Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) will end enforcement discretion for telehealth providers who utilize remote communication products that don’t comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of …


MHA Human Resources Member Forum Draws Hundreds

The MHA hosted a human resources member forum April 26 at the MHA Headquarters in Okemos and virtually with about 200 leaders participating. Moderators Patrick Irwin, vice president, human resources, South Market, Henry Ford Hospital …


New MHA Resource Outlines Scope of Practice for RNs & LPNs

To help members understand the difference in scope of practice between licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and registered nurses (RNs) under the Michigan Public Health Code, the MHA has developed a new member resource, Understanding LPN …


2023 Ludwig Nominee: Health Equity for LGBTQ+ Young People: A Collaboration between Henry Ford Health and Ruth Ellis Center

Since 1990, the MHA has honored member healthcare organizations working to enrich the overall welfare of their local communities through the Ludwig Community Benefit Award. This year, the MHA is excited …


Hillsdale Podcast Explores Hospital Financial Viability, Workforce Restoration and More

In conjunction with the MiCare Champion Cast, Hillsdale Hospital released an episode of the Rural Health Rising podcast April 27 featuring MHA CEO Brian Peters. Joining hosts Jeremiah Hodshire, CEO of Hillsdale Hospital, and Rachel …


Advocacy and Relationship Building Important Roles for Trustees

Governing board members are valuable spokespeople for their hospitals because they represent the voice of the community in support of important policy viewpoints and strategic positions. The MHA Board Governance Education webinar series, which includes …


The Keckley Report

Paul KeckleyThe Debt Ceiling Debate is Problematic for Healthcare

“Last week, 35,000 gathered in Chicago to hear about the future of health information technologies at the HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition where generative AI, smart devices and cybersecurity were prominent themes. …

The upcoming debt ceiling debate comes at a pivotal time for healthcare because it does not enjoy the good will it has in decades past. The pandemic, dysfunctional political system and the struggling economy have taken a toll on public confidence. Long-term planning for the system’s future is subordinated to the near term imperative to control costs in the context of the debt ceiling debate. …“

Paul Keckley, April 24. 2023


News to Know

The Rural Health Redesign Center and Mathematica are hosting a webinar May 1 from 11 a.m. to noon ET for hospitals interested in the rural emergency hospital (REH) designation.


Sarah ScrantonMHA in the News

The MHA received media coverage the week of April 24 regarding the MHA Keystone Center’s work implementing the Age-friendly Health Systems initiative throughout Michigan and how Michigan health systems are utilizing foreign nurses to fill …

Advocacy and Relationship Building Important Roles for Trustees

Governing board members are valuable spokespeople for their hospitals because they represent the voice of the community in support of important policy viewpoints and strategic positions. The MHA Board Governance Education webinar series, which includes webinars from noon to 1 p.m. EST on May 9 and May 23, will provide examples of how to advocate using specific messages on important issues like financial viability and workforce safety and how to engage with stakeholders on the political and economic challenges that surround healthcare operations and capital decisions.

The series is generously sponsored by HPS, an associate member of the MHA, and free of charge to MHA members. Members can register for one or both webinars.

Members with questions about registration should contact Erica Leyko at the MHA.

MHA Monday Report April 10, 2023

MHA Monday Report

The MHA membership will convene in person for the MHA Annual Membership Meeting June 28 through 30 at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. The annual meeting will feature an outstanding lineup of speakers, including …


The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is set to end the federal Public Health Emergency May 11. At that time, the special privileges and exemptions Michigan extended to licensed healthcare facilities and providers …


The MHA is hosting a webinar 11 a.m. to noon April 11 to discuss the $50 million competitive grant program for Michigan healthcare entities to expand access to pediatric inpatient behavioral health services. …


The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) recently released a proposed policy to establish Medicaid reimbursement methodology for hospitals that convert to the new rural emergency hospital provider type. Critical access hospitals …


Recent media headlines declare hospitals are in reasonably good shape financially due to pandemic funding, Medicare and insurer overpayments, and price-gauging. While hospital leaders have data proving extreme financial pressures, the cumulative effect of this …


The MHA will host the in-person Human Resources Member Forum at the MHA Headquarters in Okemos 8:30 a.m. to noon April 26, with a virtual option as well. The forum is structured as a …


The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released a proposed rule to update the Medicare fee-for-service prospective payment system for inpatient rehabilitation facilities for federal fiscal year 2024. Key provisions of the proposal include: Rebasing the …


The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) is a capitated model of care that provides community-based care to seniors who are eligible for nursing homes. PACE is responsible for primary, acute and long-term-care …

The Keckley Report

Paul KeckleyHas U.S. Healthcare Reached its Tipping Point?

“At a meeting with hospital system CEOs last Wednesday, one asked: “has healthcare reached the tipping point?”  I replied ‘not yet but it’s getting close.’ …

I am not a fatalist: the future for healthcare is brighter than its past, but not for everyone. Strategies predicated on protecting the past are obsolete. Strategies that consider consumers incapable of active participation in the delivery and financing of their care are archaic. Strategies that depend on unbridled consolidation and opaque pricing are naïve. And strategies that limit market access for non-traditional players are artifacts of the gilded age gone by when each sector protected its own against infidels outside. ….”

Paul Keckley, April 3, 2023


News to Know

  • Registration still open for April 13 MHA Keystone Center Safe Patient Handling Conference.
  • The Root Cause Coalition is accepting requests for proposals to present at the 8th Annual National Summit on the Social Determinants of Health Dec. 3-5 in Kansas City.

The MHA received media coverage the week of April 3 regarding the preparedness of hospital for another pandemic and how hospital and health system merger and acquisition activity impacts healthcare. ABC News published a story …

MHA Monday Report April 3, 2023

MHA Monday Report

capitol buildingMichigan Joins Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact

Michigan officially joined the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact March 29, creating an expedited pathway to licensure for psychologists who wish to practice telemedicine services across state lines. To date, 36 states are authorized to join …


Student Debt Relief Offered to Behavioral Health Providers

The MI Kids Now Loan Repayment Program will offer educational loan repayment for eligible behavioral health medical providers in Michigan. The program is available to behavioral health providers, including psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, counselors, therapists, …


Governance Webinar Series Outlines Trends and Advocacy Tactics

Board members must understand the issues tied directly to hospital and health system planning and performance, identify opportunities for improvement and support the leadership in advocating for mission-driven, patient-centered policies with key stakeholders. The MHA …


Required Occupational Survey Due June 30

Completed 2022 occupational mix surveys must be submitted by hospitals to the Medicare Administrative Contractor by June 30, 2023. Hospitals are required to complete the survey every three years, with results from the 2022 survey …


MHA Rounds Report - Brian Peters, MHA CEOMHA CEO Report — A Healthy Michigan is an Insured Michigan

The United States celebrated last month the 13th anniversary of the signing of the Affordable Care Act. Simply put, when then-President Obama signed the legislation March 23, 2010, it was one of the most monumental healthcare policy changes in our lifetime. …


The Keckley Report

Paul KeckleyNot for Profit Health Systems are Soft Targets: Here’s Why

“There are no easy answers for not-for-profit hospitals/heath systems. The issue is about more than messaging and PR. It’s about more than Medicare reimbursement (7.5% below cost), protecting programs like 340B, keeping tax exemptions and maintaining barriers against physician-owned hospitals. The issue is NOT about operating income vs. investment income: in every business, both are essential and in each, economic cycles impact gains/losses. Each of these is important but only band-aids on an open wound in U.S. healthcare.

Near-term (the next 2 years), opportunities for not-for-profit hospitals involve administrative simplification to reduce costs and improve the efficiencies and effectiveness of the workforce. Clinical documentation using ChatGPT/Bard-like tools can have a massive positive impact—that’s just a start. Advocacy, public education and Board preparedness require bigger investments of time and resources. But that’s true for every hospital, regardless of ownership. These are table stakes to stay afloat. …”

Paul Keckley, March 27, 2023


News to Know

  • Registration is now open for the MHA Keystone Center Safe Patient Handling Conference.
  • The MHA is issuing a request for proposal for a $50 million competitive grant program for Michigan healthcare entities to expand access to pediatric inpatient behavioral health services.
  • The MHA will host an in-person Human Resources Member Forum at the MHA Headquarters in Okemos from 8:30 a.m. to noon April 26, with a virtual option available as well.
  • The Root Cause Coalition is accepting requests for proposals to present at the 8th Annual National Summit on the Social Determinants of Health Dec. 3-5 in Kansas City.

Governance Webinar Series Outlines Trends and Advocacy Tactics

Board members must understand the issues tied directly to hospital and health system planning and performance, identify opportunities for improvement and support the leadership in advocating for mission-driven, patient-centered policies with key stakeholders.

The MHA Health Foundation governance webinar series MHA Board Governance Education is a three-part series that outlines the trends affecting current and future strategic plans, techniques for effectively communicating with stakeholders on key issues and ways to build trust and engagement within the community.

Sessions are led by Kimberly Russel, former hospital CEO and governance consultant, John Karasinski, senior director, communications, MHA and Dan Wolf, Munson Healthcare trustee.

The webinars are scheduled for April 19, May 9 and May 23 from noon to 1 p.m. EST.

The series is generously sponsored by HPS, an associate member of the MHA and free of charge to MHA members.

Members with questions about registration should contact Erica Leyko at MHA.

MHA Monday Report March 27, 2023

MHA Monday Report

capitol buildingMHA-supported Bills See Action Before Break

The Michigan House of Representatives acted on a pair of MHA-supported bills during the week of March 20. In the House Health Policy Committee, members voted to report legislation to strengthen Michigan’s Healthy Michigan statute. …


Speakers of the Protect Our Care press conference.MHA Celebrates ACA Anniversary with Congresswoman Slotkin

MHA Executive Vice President Laura Appel joined U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin and other healthcare advocates March 23 as part of a virtual press conference organized by Protect Our Care to celebrate the 13th anniversary of …


As individuals and families across the state and country continue to face food insecurity, Michigan’s hospitals, health systems and community leaders are engaged in creating collaborative solutions. MHA CEO Brian Peters joined fellow food security …

Expanding Advocacy Roots with the Next Generation

The MHA collaborated with Wayne State University for the first-ever student-led advocacy day March 22. Science Policy Network-Detroit is a student organization at Wayne State that aims to advocate for science-related issues in …


March 30 Webinar Outlines Considerations for the End of the Public Health Emergency

The Department of Health and Human Services COVID-19 public health emergency expires May 11, 2023, which may significantly decrease the flexibility providers have become accustomed to. The MHA will host The End of the …


Medicaid Eligibility Redetermination Webinar Recording Available

The Michigan Medicaid program has grown to nearly 3.2 million Michiganders, an increase of more than 700,000 when compared to pre-pandemic levels, due to federal statutory limitations on states’ abilities to remove people from the …


MHA Webinar Explores PACE Program Partnerships

With the closure of nursing homes and long-term care facilities, hospitals and health systems need options to care for seniors. Dually eligible frail seniors are one of the most complex cohorts with multiple co-morbidities, frequent …


Applications Open for Excellence in Governance Fellowship, Prepares Trustees to Lead

The MHA Excellence in Governance Fellowship is now available to healthcare board members looking for innovative, effective ways to lead their organizations as hospitals and health systems navigate financial strain and labor challenges. Applications are …


The Keckley Report

Paul KeckleyAffordable Care Act 2.0: New Trends and Issues, New Urgency

“Thursday marks the 13th anniversary of the signing of the Affordable Care Act– perhaps the most consequential healthcare legislation since LBJ’s passage of the Medicare Act in 1965. Except in healthcare circles, it will probably go unnoticed. …

Complicating matters, the political environment today is more complicated than in 2010 when the ACA became law. The economic environment is more challenging: the pandemic, inflation and economic downturn have taken their toll. Intramural tensions in key sectors have spiked as each fights for control and autonomy i.e. primary care vs. specialty medicine, investor-owned vs. not-for-profit hospitals, retail medicine & virtual vs. office-based services, carve-outs, direct contracting et al . Consolidation has widened capabilities and resources distancing big organizations from others. Today’s media attention to healthcare is more sophisticated. Employers are more frustrated. And the public’s confidence in the health system is at an all-time low. …“

Paul Keckley, March 19, 2023


News to Know

  • Registration is now open for the MHA Keystone Center Safe Patient Handling Conference.
  • The MHA is issuing a request for proposal for a $50 million competitive grant program for Michigan healthcare entities to expand access to pediatric inpatient behavioral health services.
  • The MHA Health Foundation will host a four-part webinar series MHA Board Governance Education that outlines the trends affecting current and future strategic plans, techniques for effectively communicating with stakeholders on key issues and ways to build trust, drive engagement and develop relationships.
  • The MHA will host an in-person Human Resources Member Forumat the MHA Headquarters in Okemos from 8:30 a.m. to noon April 26, with a virtual option available as well.
  • The Root Cause Coalition is accepting requests for proposals to present at the 8th Annual National Summit on the Social Determinants of Health Dec. 3-5 in Kansas City.

News to Know – March 27, 2023

  • Registration is now open for the MHA Keystone Center Safe Patient Handling Conference. The all-day event will take place April 13 at the Ann Arbor Marriott Ypsilanti at Eagle Crest. The free event will provide participants hands-on learning about how safe, early and continuous mobility can help achieve better patient outcomes. Members with questions may contact the MHA Keystone Center.
  • The MHA is issuing a request for proposal (RFP) for a $50 million competitive grant program for Michigan healthcare entities to expand access to pediatric inpatient behavioral health services. The grant program will issue funds to entities across the state of Michigan for either the expansion of existing programs or development of new ones. Copies of the grant RFP materials and the online application are also available on the MHA Behavioral Health webpage. Members with questions may contact Kelsey Ostergren at the MHA.
  • The MHA Health Foundation will host a four-part webinar series MHA Board Governance Education that outlines the trends affecting current and future strategic plans, techniques for effectively communicating with stakeholders on key issues and ways to build trust, drive engagement and develop relationships. The webinars are scheduled for April 19, May 9 and May 23 from noon to 1 p.m. EST. Members with questions about registration should contact Erica Leyko at MHA.
  • The MHA will host an in-person Human Resources Member Forum at the MHA Headquarters in Okemos from 8:30 a.m. to noon April 26, with a virtual option available as well. The forum is structured as a round table with human resources and MHA leaders moderating a discussion among attendees around the Great Resignation of the healthcare workforce and ideas and solutions to combat workforce challenges. Members with questions about membership or registration should contact Brenda Carr at the MHA.
  • The Root Cause Coalition (TRCC) is accepting requests for proposals to present at the 8th Annual National Summit on the Social Determinants of Health Dec. 3-5 in Kansas City. Proposals are being accepted for breakout sessions and poster presentations. Organizations with proven, measurable solutions that address health equity and collectively chart an intentional, meaningful and measurable path for progress are encouraged to submit. Members with questions can contact Lori Bennett at the TRCC.

Governance Webinar Series Helps Trustees Advocate on Important Issues

Every board member must have a common understanding of critical issues, the implications for the hospital or health system and how to share the impact with government and community leaders. Without support, it is difficult for leadership to fulfill the organization’s mission.

The MHA Health Foundation governance webinar series MHA Board Governance Education is a four-part series that outlines the trends affecting current and future strategic plans, techniques for effectively communicating with stakeholders on key issues and ways to build trust, drive engagement and develop relationships.

Sessions are led by Kimberly Russel, former hospital CEO and governance consultant, John Karasinski, senior director, communications, MHA, and Dan Wolf, Munson Healthcare trustee.

The webinars are scheduled for April 19, May 9 and May 23 from noon to 1 p.m. EST.

The series is generously sponsored by HPS, an associate member of the MHA, and free of charge to MHA members.

Members with questions about registration should contact Erica Leyko at MHA.