MHA Board of Trustees - MHA | Michigan Health & Hospital Association

MHA Monday Report Nov. 17, 2025

November 17, 2025November 17, 2025 Member News, Monday Report

Notable Healthcare Legislation Clears House, Senate Committees

Legislation on physician assistant licensure compact agreements, international medical school graduates, hospital price transparency measures and medical debt collection advanced in the Michigan House and Senate during the week of Nov. 10. In the House …

CMS Releases CY 2026 Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released a final rule to update the physician fee schedule for calendar year (CY) 2026. Highlights of the final rule include: Implementing the one-time 2.5% …

Congressmen Bergman Supports Save America’s Rural Hospitals Act

U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI) recently co-sponsored H.R. 3684, the Save America’s Rural Hospitals Act of 2025, which would strengthen financial stability and access to care for rural hospitals and healthcare providers across the country. …

MHA Board of Trustees Shares Learnings from Ice Storm and Reviews Strategic Action Plan

New MHA Infographic Showcases Rural Michigan Healthcare Impact

The MHA recently released the infographic Healthcare Impact in Rural Michigan, which highlights how critical access hospitals, sole community hospitals, rural emergency hospitals and birthing hospitals support communities across the state. The infographic highlights the …

New Endorsed Business Partner SmarterDx Provides Clinical AI to Support Financial Outcomes and Quality Scores

The MHA’s Endorsed Business Partner program promotes industry-leading firms. The EBP program connects member hospitals to solutions that alleviate pain points. The MHA recently endorsed SmarterDx, a national leader in revenue integrity solutions, offering advanced clinical …

Webinar Kicks Off MHA Health Access & Community Impact Office Hours

The MHA will host an informational webinar from noon to 12:45 p.m. Nov. 24 featuring 211, in the first session of the Health Access & Community Impact Office Hours series. The series is designed to …

Celebrating the Power — and Promise — of Rural Healthcare

As a healthcare leader, physician and someone born and raised in the Thumb of Michigan, National Rural Health Day is very personal to me, my colleagues and the communities we serve every day at Scheurer Health. …

Keckley Report

Why Healthcare Affordability is Increasingly Problematic to Working Age Populations

In what political pundits called a sweeping win by Democrats in Tuesday’s elections, affordability and costs of living emerged as the issues that mattered most to voters. It’s no surprise.

Since 2019 before the pandemic, prices have increased for American businesses and households due to inflation:

Personal Consumption Expenditures inflation which measures monthly business spending increased 3.5% annually. The Consumer Price Index, which measures monthly changes in household spending increased 3.87% annually over the same period (2019-2025).

But in the same period, prices for healthcare services–hospitals, physician services, insurance premiums and long-term care–have taken an odd turn: for businesses, they’ve decreased but for consumers, they increased. It reflects the success whereby businesses have shifted health benefits costs to employees or suspended benefits altogether, and it explains why consumers are bearing more direct responsibility for healthcare costs and are increasingly price sensitive. …

Healthcare service providers can ill afford to neglect affordability. It more than measuring medical debt, posting prices and referencing concern on websites. It’s about earning the trust and confidence of future generations through concrete actions that increase household financial security beginning with healthcare spending. …”

Paul Keckley, Nov. 9, 2025

News to Know

MHA members are encouraged to register for the webinar How Leading Health Systems Are Rebuilding Talent Pipelines — and Keeping Them Full Through Early Student Loan Support, led by Clasp, scheduled from 9 to 9:30 a.m. Dec. 2.

MHA in the News

9&10 News aired a story Nov. 11 about how health insurance rate increases will lead to lower health insurance enrollment, harming healthcare access. MHA CEO Brian Peters is quoted in the story expressing the need …

MHA Board of Trustees Shares Learnings from Ice Storm and Reviews Strategic Action Plan

November 14, 2025November 17, 2025 Member News

The MHA Board of Trustees’ Nov. 12 meeting featured presentations from board members Ed Ness, president and CEO, Munson Healthcare; Lydia Watson, president and CEO, MyMichigan Health; and Karen Cheeseman, president and CEO, Mackinac Straits Health System, on their organizations’ response to the ice storm that struck northern Michigan in spring 2025.

The three board members shared photos and provided details on how each health system acted quickly to obtain alternate fuel sources, safely store and distribute food and medication, provide warming centers, and secure transportation for staff and patients. They also described the transportation challenges caused by the extended closure of the Mackinac Bridge and widespread road closures from downed power lines, many of which took weeks to clear and restore. The board members commended the dedication and resourcefulness of their staff and communities, emphasizing the importance of developing detailed emergency preparedness plans that address long-term scenarios.

The board welcomed James Holcomb, president and CEO, Michigan Chamber of Commerce, who outlined the Chamber’s legislative priorities and opportunities for collaboration with the MHA on key issues aimed at preserving and promoting economic growth. Holcomb highlighted the essential role hospitals and healthcare providers play as major employers across Michigan. Board members reviewed the MHA’s 2025-26 Strategic Action Plan, which identifies the protection of patient access to care, workforce support, support for mental and behavioral health, and creating healthy communities as its key priorities. The board approved a new Type 1 member, Southridge Behavioral Hospital; two Type 2 members, The Morel Company and Skill Trade; and six new individual physician members.

Questions about MHA Board of Trustees meetings should be directed to Amy Barkholz at the MHA.

MHA Board of Trustees Holds Final Meeting of Program Year

June 27, 2025June 29, 2025 Member News

The MHA Board of Trustees held its final meeting of the 2024-2025 program year on Mackinac Island June 25 in conjunction with the MHA Annual Membership Meeting. The meeting began with a welcome by the Honorable Margaret Doud, mayor of Mackinac Island. As the longest currently serving mayor in the United States, Mayor Doud thanked the board members for visiting the Island and wished the MHA a successful annual meeting. She also reinforced the importance of protecting health care services and the value rural hospitals have played for the residents of Mackinac Island.

The board recognized James (Chip) Falahee, senior vice president, legal and legislative affairs, Bronson Healthcare, for over 16 years of service as one of two hospital representatives on the statewide bi-partisan Certificate of Need (CON) Commission. During his tenure, spanning three gubernatorial appointments, Chip served as vice-chair of the CON Commission for two years and chair for nine, a testament to his leadership and dedicated support among his fellow commissioners. MHA Board of Trustees member, Karen Cheeseman, president & CEO, Mackinac Straits Health System, St. Ignace, was appointed by Governor Whitmer to replace Chip on the commission.

The board reviewed the MHA’s 2024-2025 Strategic Action Plan, which successfully focused on protecting access, workforce support, strengthening cybercrime and cybersecurity policy, mental and behavioral health, and creating healthy communities. The board also approved many associate members including Eneration, Inc., Gallagher Insurance, Homeward Health and Talkiatry.

Members with questions about the actions of the MHA Board of Trustees may contact Amy Barkholz at the MHA.

AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack Addresses MHA Board

April 11, 2025 Member News

AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack and MHA CEO Brian Peters pictured during a fireside chat during the April 9 MHA Board of Trustees Meeting at the MHA’s Capitol Advocacy Center in downtown Lansing.

The MHA Board of Trustees welcomed AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack to its April 9 meeting at the MHA’s Capitol Advocacy Center in downtown Lansing. The board meeting primarily focused on how to effectively advocate with state and federal lawmakers to preserve access to vital community healthcare services currently facing steep proposed funding cuts.

In a ‘fireside chat’ format moderated by MHA CEO Brian Peters, Pollack shared the political insights he’s gleaned from more than forty years of federal healthcare advocacy to provide his perspective on the current Congressional budget process, key drivers of the current administration and Congressional leadership, and the most effective messaging to help lawmakers understand how their community hospitals will be affected by the budget proposals.

Pollack shared recent public messaging from the Coalition to Strengthen America’s Healthcare, showing the faces of Medicaid and urging lawmakers to protect funding. “If lawmakers don’t hear from you, they think there’s no problem. Hospitals are not a single-issue group,” said Pollack. “Reach out to your lawmakers because we have the opportunity to be objective teachers. Bring them into your hospitals and tell your story.”

At the state level, the board affirmed its support for efforts to address medical debt relief, providing direction for the association to continue working with policymakers on this important issue. The board also discussed ongoing advocacy in support of state legislation to protect 340B contract pharmacies. In addition, the board affirmed the work of the Advisory Panel on Community Benefit Collaboration, with a focus on voluntary collaboratives to improve prenatal care and help address perinatal mood disorder.

The MHA Health PAC campaign remains on target to reach its $400,000 goal. Lastly, the board approved the Type 3 membership application of Warner, Norcross & Judd, LLP.

Members with questions about the actions of the MHA Board of Trustees may contact Amy Barkholz at the MHA.

MHA Monday Report Feb. 10, 2025

February 10, 2025February 7, 2025 Member News, Monday Report

IMLC Moves Through Committee & Executive Budget Recommendation Presented

Several noteworthy healthcare issues saw attention the week of Feb. 3 by state lawmakers and policymakers, including the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC) moving through the Senate Health Policy Committee, a reintroduction of the Momnibus …

The Joint Commission President and CEO Addresses MHA Board

The MHA Board of Trustees welcomed The Joint Commission President and CEO Jonathan B. Perlin, MD, PhD to its Feb. 3 meeting. In his guest presentation, Dr. Perlin shared The Joint Commission’s mission to work …

Workforce Support and Growth Addressed by MHASC Board and HR Council

The MHA Service Corporation (MHASC) board focused its Feb. 5 meeting on supporting the MHA Strategic Action Plan priorities to address workforce support, protecting access, mental and behavioral health, creating healthy communities, strengthening cybercrime/cybersecurity policy …

Corewell Health Trenton Hospital Nurse Honored with Q4 MHA Keystone Center Speak-up! Award

The MHA Keystone Center celebrates Courtney Baumann, RN at Corewell Health Trenton Hospital, as its quarterly MHA Keystone Center Speak-up! Award recipient for February. The Speak-up! Award celebrates individuals or …

MHA Keystone Center Launches Infection Control Quality Improvement Cohort

The MHA Keystone Center is launching an infection control quality improvement cohort, providing high-touch technical assistance to ten long-term care facilities. The Strengthening Long-term Care Infection Prevention and Control Practices to Address Emerging Pathogens …

MHA CEO Report — The Realities of the Earned Sick Time Act

Healthcare continues to be the leading private-sector employer in Michigan. Our latest Economic Impact of Healthcare in Michigan report shows healthcare provided nearly 572,000 direct jobs in Michigan in 2022, with roughly 217,000 of those jobs in hospitals. …