Report: Access, Affordability & Community Health Improved by Hospital Programming, Investments

2025 MHA Community Impact Report

The Michigan Health & Hospital Association (MHA) released today its 2025 Community Impact Report highlighting community programming and investments from Michigan hospitals that are improving access to care, addressing affordability and advancing the health of communities across every region of the state.

The report showcases 12 hospital-led programs that go beyond the traditional care setting to address community health needs across the state. It also outlines investments totaling more than $4.5 billion in community benefit activities in fiscal year (FY) 2023, from education and prevention services to clinical research, healthcare workforce support and more.

“Michigan hospitals continue to redefine care delivery and create new, innovative access points across the state,” said MHA CEO Brian Peters. “The MHA Community Impact Report is a strong reminder that our hospitals are committed to listening – and responding – to the needs of their communities.”

Programs featured in the report include University of Michigan Health-Sparrow’s mobile health clinic; Henry Ford Health’s hospital-based doula program; Corewell Health Gerber Hospital’s vaping cessation initiative; Mackinac Straits Health System’s retail pharmacy; and efforts by Bronson Battle Creek Hospital to address food insecurity; among many others. This work is a result of strategic investments, local partnerships and support from state and federal healthcare champions.

“Improving community health goes beyond the bedside,” said MHA Board Chair Bill Manns, president and CEO, Bronson Healthcare. “When we invest in programs that address socioeconomic challenges like food insecurity, we’re helping people overcome the barriers that stand between them and a healthier life.”

The full report and community impact stories from hospitals across the state can be accessed on the MHA website.

Based in Greater Lansing, the MHA is the statewide leader representing all community hospitals in Michigan. Established in 1919, the MHA represents the interests of its member hospitals and health systems in both the legislative and regulatory arenas on key issues and supports their efforts to provide quality, cost-effective and accessible care. The MHA’s mission is to advance the health of individuals and communities.

Report: Michigan Hospital Programming, Investments Improve Health and Well-being of Residents

2024 MHA Community Impact Report

The Michigan Health & Hospital Association (MHA) released the 2024 Community Impact Report highlighting how Michigan hospitals are strengthening the healthcare workforce, enhancing access to care and building community health and wellness. This report shares 15 hospital-led community impact programs from nearly every region of the state.2024 MHA Community Impact Report

Michigan hospitals are advancing the health of patients and communities beyond the traditional healthcare setting with a variety of community-focused programs. These efforts are a result of strategic community benefit investments, in addition to local partnerships and support from state and federal healthcare champions.

“The MHA Community Impact Report demonstrates a long-standing commitment by Michigan hospitals to advance the well-being of patients and communities beyond the traditional four walls of the hospital,” said MHA CEO Brian Peters. “It also showcases the strong, lasting impact of investments in health education, community outreach services, clinical research and workforce development.”

Examples of stories include Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital’s Street Medicine Oakland program that provides free medical care to patients experiencing homelessness; MyMichigan Health’s Grow Our Own initiative, which provides financial assistance to individuals who want to further their education in healthcare; and Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital’s Community Connect program that is reducing health disparities related to mental health, substance abuse and adverse childhood events.

The investments total more than $4.5 billion in community impact activities in fiscal year (FY) 2022, from education and prevention services to community outreach, research and workforce development.

“At ProMedica Health, we’re always looking for innovative ways to address the specific health needs of our patient population and reach communities where they are,” said MHA Board Chair Julie Yaroch, DO, president of ProMedica Charles and Virginia Hickman Hospital. “It’s inspiring to see the work of other hospitals featured in the report that are focused on bringing solutions to the table, especially when it comes to closing gaps in public health and enhancing access to care in rural communities.”

The full report and community impact stories from hospitals across the state can be accessed on the MHA website.

Rural Health Research Gateway Releases Report on the First Year of REHs

The Rural Health Research Gateway recently published a report on Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs) highlighting data from the first year of the designation. Under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, the Rural Emergency Hospital provider type was created to address rural hospital closures. There is one REH in the state of Michigan, Sturgis Hospital located in Sturgis, MI. Additionally, there are 18 other REHs across the country (four REHs in Texas, three in Mississippi, three in Oklahoma, two in Arkansas, two in Georgia, and one in each of Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Tennessee).

The report found that a majority of the REHs operating at the end of 2023 were in the south. The brief also found that REHs tend to serve under resourced counties that face a myriad of challenges, such as increased poverty and uninsured rates, along with a shortage of primary care and mental health providers. Counties with REHs also tend to have higher rates of premature deaths. These findings suggest that counties with REHs are facing more severe challenges than their other rural counterparts.

As REHs continue into their second year, further monitoring will provide more information on the long-term impact of REHs on healthcare outcomes in rural areas.

Members with questions may contact Lauren LaPine at the MHA.